The Record, April 11, 2011, V19.19



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Visiting scholars teach and learn

by Sydney Warneke

Students may sometimes feel that faculty are difficult, if not impossible, to relate to, but visiting scholars Danielle Brown and Shawnya Harris are working to show that MTSU professors and students have plenty in common.

A student herself, Brown came to MTSU via the University of California at Davis to finish her dissertation in biology and animal behavior. While participating in MTSU's Underrepresented Minority Dissertation Fellowship program, she is able to complete the final portion of her doctorate by teaching a biology class for non-biology majors.

Brown says she feels MTSU is a good fit for her.

"It's definitely a good place to finish my dissertation,"; she says. "The amount of work is just enough, along with trying to finish my dissertation.";

A plus to the equation, she notes, is that her husband is also an MTSU professor, teaching health and wellness and some graduate courses in the Department of Health and Human Performance.

Harris, who is in the final stage of earning her doctorate in African-American art, says she couldn't be happier to be at MTSU. An alumnus of both Yale and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harris also is participating in the dissertation fellowship offered alongside her doctoral program, which allows her to teach students while also completing her research.

"It has been the best experience I've had, and I'm not exaggerating,"; Harris says with a smile.

Brown, a native of New Orleans, La., received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in New York. In 2001, she moved to Tennessee, working for three years in a psychology laboratory at Vanderbilt University before starting her doctoral studies in California.

As a child, Brown says she always loved animals and wanted to become a veterinarian. When she learned that degrees were offered in the field of animal behavior, however, Brown changed course slightly and headed to school.

While earning her degrees, she also did extensive work in the field. Most of that research was on the anteater, most notably the type known as the tamandua, which is found from southern Mexico throughout Central America and into South America. Her research has so far led her to Guyana and Brazil, and she plans to finish her dissertation in Panama.

Harris received her bachelor's degree in African-American studies from Yale. Though she says she enjoyed her major courses, she always found herself gravitating toward art-history classes. That realization led her to earn her master's degree in art history from UNC, allowing her to tie her two interests together.

"The majority of my graduate work is focused on the African Diaspora in history,"; she says, referring to the emigration of Africans and their descendants around the world, most often to find education, jobs and a better standard of living for themselves and their children.

This semester, Harris is teaching an African-American-focused art-history class, which conveniently parallels her research in studying the market perception for African-American art in the last 30 years.

"I like the students here, sincerely,"; she says. "They are engaging; they laugh at my jokes and are receptive during discussion.";

After completing her doctorate at MTSU in May, Brown says she wants to go into academics and continue teaching. Though she isn't yet sure where she'll wind up, she says she's hopeful that there will be jobs in the area.

"People need to be informed to make good decisions,"; she says. "I would really like to take students out and do research in the field and let them see things you can't see in textbooks.";

Now in her second semester of teaching here, Harris says she too has enjoyed the experience, adding that MTSU has been very generous with both resources and time to help her educational career. Though she says she's unsure of where she would like to work in the future, she hopes to put her degrees to good use.

"I would like to secure a tenure-track teaching position, but I'd also be happy in a museum gallery, where I was before,"; she says.

Overall, Brown has been impressed with the atmosphere at MTSU, saying that it's good to be part of the school as it makes progress in research.

"People don't realize the extent to which MTSU is moving forward,"; she says. "It's good to see.";

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Omachonu is new academic vice provost

Dr. John Omachonu will become vice provost for academic affairs at Middle Tennessee State University with the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, officials announced.

University Provost Dr. Brad Bartel said he is "delighted"; that Omachonu has been appointed to the permanent post.

"Dr. Omachonu has truly proven that he is an all-University leader during his time as interim vice provost,"; Bartel said. "He has been very devoted to critical issues, including diversity. I look forward to his having a long relationship with the University community in his new position.";

Omachonu, who was chosen following a nationwide search, has served as interim vice provost since July 2010. His responsibilities have included diversity and international-education issues.

"This position is a unique opportunity for me to serve the University community by assisting the University Provost in accomplishing the academic mission of the institution,"; Omachonu said.

A veteran of more than 20 years of international-broadcasting experience and 20 years of college teaching, Omachonu joined MTSU's College of Media and Entertainment in July 2004 as associate dean and professor of electronic media communication. From October 2007 to September 2008, he served as the college's interim dean while a search was under way for a new dean.

Omachonu was selected for the 2009-10 class of the American Council on Education Fellows Program, which identifies promising faculty and administrators and prepares them for leadership roles in higher education administration.

His career also includes stints as associate professor and chairman of the Department of Communication at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., from 2000 to 2004 and associate professor and chairman of the Department of Mass Communications at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga.

Omachonu earned his bachelor's degree in psychology and master's and doctoral degrees in mass communications from Howard University. His postdoctoral administrative fellowships include the Freedom Forum's Leadership Institute for Journalism & Mass Communication Administrators, the Journalism and Mass Communication Leadership Institute for Diversity and the Management Development Program at Harvard University.

His wife, Dr. Florence Omachonu, is a professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. They are the parents of four children.


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MTSU Magazine returns with spring 2011 edition


Dr. Hugh Berryman, professor of sociology and anthropology and director of MTSU's Forensic Institute for Research and Education, appears on the cover of the spring 2011 edition of the re-launched MTSU Magazine.

Berryman's efforts to establish MTSU as a regional hot spot for undergraduate forensic-science studies is the thrust of the cover story in the magazine, which returns with a 48-page issue to be mailed to alumni this month.

Berryman recently learned that he will receive the 2012 T. Dale Stewart Award for lifetime achievement in physical anthropology from the American Academy for Forensic Sciences.

Other feature articles in MTSU Magazine's new incarnation include a look at five stellar members of the graduating class of 2011 and a preview of the University's pending Centennial anniversary.

Serving as editor is Drew Ruble, the new senior editor of university publications at MTSU. Before his appointment, Ruble was editor of Nashville Post, BusinessTN and The City Paper.

"This re-launched MTSU magazine will be compelling in its content and striking in its visual impression,"; Ruble says. "Whether reporting on alumni of unusual accomplishment, on student achievers or on the frontiers of faculty-led research, the magazine will present the campus not as an isolated entity but as a place engaged with the weighty issues of the day.";

The Office of Marketing and Communications will host a 3-4 p.m. magazine-launch party on Wednesday, April 13, in the Alumni Relations House.

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In Brief: Help with lunch April 27


MTSU's Rutherford County Alumni will hold their annual scholarship-fundraiser lunch at Bonefish Grill, located at 505 N. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro, on Wednesday, April 27, Administrative Professionals' Day. Two seating times will be available: 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Cost is $12 per person. To make your reservations, call 615-898-2922 or visit www.mtalumni.com .

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For the Record: President offers update on 2011-12 budget

by Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

The picture on our budget for the next fiscal year is becoming a little clearer, and challenges from state-appropriations reductions continue for MTSU.

Gov. Bill Haslam has included in his state budget proposal an additional higher-education state funding reduction of 2 percent. That reduction will be a $1.7 million reduction for MTSU. As I mentioned in my message to campus in January, we knew that the Tennessee Higher Education Commission had recommended a higher-education budget that included a 1 percent reduction for next fiscal year, and, depending upon state revenue projections, that reduction could be up to 3 percent. This reduction will mean that since July 1, 2008, MTSU's state appropriations have been reduced by approximately $33 million.

Additionally, the new THEC Outcomes-Based Funding Formula will take effect July 1. The only good news in that regard is that there will be a small increase in state funding for MTSU from the combination of the phase-out of the state appropriation hold-harmless (positive), the phase-in of the new formula (negative) and the 2 percent additional state reduction. It will not, however, be significant enough to help much. It will only be helpful in covering part of the remaining base reductions needed to cover the last several annual reductions, whose immediate effect, as you know, was mitigated up to June 30, 2011, with federal stimulus funds.

Barring any major changes in the amount of state-appropriations reductions, no division at this time will be asked to make any more cuts than it has already made or planned. Hopefully, too, no reallocation of current funds will be needed to fund any new initiatives that cannot be covered with new funds from enrollment growth and/or tuition increases.

I will be meeting soon with the provost, deans and vice presidents to discuss budget needs and challenges. Every effort will be made to minimize the effect of the additional state-appropriations reduction. As always, too, MTSU's first priority is to protect academics, i.e., classroom instruction and student services.

One thing that may affect the need for additional budget cuts is salary increases. Gov. Haslam has included in his state budget proposal a 1.6 percent salary increase. As is usually the case, it will not be fully funded, and higher-education institutions will be required to fund a portion of that increase. Any additional increase and/or possible bonus also will have to be funded by the institutions.

The governor's salary proposal acknowledges the fact that there has not been any employee salary increase for the last several years. Even before Gov. Haslam included a proposed salary increase in his state budget proposal, the Tennessee Board of Regents had generally discussed salary increases, so there may be a possibility of an increase higher than the proposed 1.6 percent. I will continue to push our efforts to have a salary increase, even if we have to find local funds to do that.

I will keep you informed as we know more on the developing state budget.

This is a reprint of recent email communications from Dr. McPhee to the MTSU community.

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Student groups team up for free Earth Day events


Want to show you're green while being true to the blue? Join MTSU's Students for Environmental Action and the American Democracy Project Student Organization, who are sponsoring an Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 21.

Students are circulating posters with the day's itinerary, which includes a free document-shredding service, recycling information, music, special guests and vendors, all on the Keathley University Center Knoll.

All events are free and open to the public.

Earth Day is usually observed on April 22, but MTSU organizers moved up their event date to accommodate the Good Friday holiday and ensure that more people can participate.

"Raiders Recycle"; T-shirts and tote bags, in bright spring colors and in tie-dye, will be for sale on the Knoll on April 21. The celebration is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and events include:

  • free shredding and recycling of documents by MaxShred of Murfreesboro, 10 a.m.-noon;
  • acoustic music and a poetry slam, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.;
  • entertainment by DJ B. Roll, 2-4 p.m.; and
  • a yard sale by Young Americans for Liberty.


Special guests include representatives from Rover, Murfreesboro's public-transportation system; The Nature Conservancy; Procycling Bicycle Repair; the Center for Environmental Education; the Murfreesboro Electric Department; Origins beauty products; Scott Atkins for Kangen; and Drs. Cliff Ricketts, Charles Perry and Ngee Sing Chong, who will bring the latest green inventions.

For drive-through and drop-off of materials for shredding at MTSU's Earth Day event, recyclers should enter campus from East Main Street onto North Baird Lane, turn right onto Alumni Drive and then left on Friendship Street to circle through the Davis Science Building parking lot. Students will unload papers there for shredding by MaxShred.

For more details, visit the SEA website at www.sea-mtsu.org or email amerdem@mtsu.edu.

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Honor retirees at special April 12 JUB ceremony


A reception for retiring members of the MTSU community is planned for Tuesday, April 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.

Scheduled to be honored are employees who retired in the 2010-11 academic year, including:

  • C. Nathan Adams, Computer Information Systems;
  • Joe H. Alexander, Building Services;
  • Nancy Boone Allsbrook, School of Music;
  • Nancy Shacklett Ammerman, Department of Speech and Theatre;
  • Donald Lee Bogle, Construction/Renovation Services;
  • Dallas Henderson Burns, Housing Administration;
  • James L. Bush Jr., Department of Accounting;
  • Donald Allen Campbell, Department of Mathematical Sciences;
  • Howard R. Cook, CRS;
  • Linda Davis, University College (formerly Continuing Education and Distance Learning);
  • Nancie Dockery, Business Office;
  • Ruben Ray Dougherty, Energy Services;
  • Larry Edward Farmer, accounting;
  • R. Wayne Gober, CIS;
  • Christian L. Haseleu, Department of Recording Industry;
  • Barbara S. Haskew, Department of Economics and Finance;
  • Gayle Powers Hayes, Housing;
  • John David Hays, University Counsel;
  • Sherian S. Huddleston, Enrollment Services;
  • Joseph W. Hugh, Procurement Services;
  • Mary T. Hugh, Human Resource Services;
  • David Leon Hutton, Student Aid Office;
  • Nemmie Inmon, Custodial Services;
  • Betty L. James, College of Business;
  • Michael Alvin Johnson, Counseling Services;
  • George E. Kerrick, Department of English;
  • Paul D. Lee, Department of Physics and Astronomy;
  • Shirley A. Luscinski, Student Athlete Enhancement;
  • John C. Lynch, News and Media Relations;
  • Gary Wayne Moss, Walker Library;
  • Sheron Lee Neeley, Creative Marketing Solutions (formerly Publications and Graphics);
  • Thomas J. Nolan, Department of Geosciences;
  • Randall O'Brien, WMOT Radio;
  • Emma Jean Osborne, Custodial Services;
  • Lynn Palmer, Admissions;
  • Elizabeth Patty, Post Office;
  • Linda Marie Puckett, Admissions;
  • Mary A. Ray, Department of Human Sciences;
  • Richard S. Redditt, Department of Engineering Technology;
  • Daniel L. Reynolds, accounting;
  • Frances R. Rich, President's Office;
  • Barbara A. Robbins, Development and University Relations;
  • Kenneth Robert Rushlow, Department of Elementary and Special Education;
  • Judith M. Sanders, Admissions;
  • Judith Ann Shook, CVS/P&G;
  • Michael D. Sniderman, speech and theatre;
  • Lura Ann Sparks, Facilities Services;
  • Catherine D. Stogner, human sciences;
  • Horace Niven Stogner Jr., Academic Support Center;
  • Jimmy Ray Stokes, Campus School Custodial Services;
  • Robert D. Taylor, Energy Services;
  • Ronald Wayne Viola, Energy Services;
  • Dellmar Walker, human sciences;
  • Grant Edwin Wall, Building Services;
  • Paul F. Wells, Center for Popular Music;
  • Forrestine White Williams, Institutional Equity and Compliance;
  • James H. Wilson, Receiving and Moving Services;
  • Tech Wubneh, International Programs; and
  • Gary P. Wulfsberg, Department of Chemistry.


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Program for artists with disabilities will celebrate 1st decade

by Gina K. Logue

Former "American Idol"; competitor Scott Douglas MacIntyre is scheduled to lead a lineup of talented entertainers helping VSA Tennessee celebrate its 10th anniversary at a 7 p.m. performance Tuesday, April 12, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.

The evening event will be the culmination of a daylong appreciation of VSA Tennessee, the state organization on arts and disability.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance by calling The Arc of Tennessee at 615-248-4878. Tickets also will be available at the door.

MacIntyre, a national VSA Young Soloist winner and a top-10 finalist in the 2009 "American Idol"; competition, was "Idol's"; first blind finalist. His latest CD, "Heartstrings,"; debuted at No. 15 on the iTunes Pop Album Chart.

A summa cum laude baccalaureate graduate of Arizona State University at age 19, MacIntrye earned his master's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London and the Royal College of Music.

Other entertainers slated to perform in the 7 p.m. event include Laura Dodd, the 2010 Inspirational Country Music New Artist of the Year and former national VSA Young Soloist winner, along with 2011 Tennessee VSA Young Soloist winners Lake Rise Place and country singer J.P. Williams.

The day's events will start at 9:30 a.m. with hands-on activities with musical instruments, as well as theater, art and dance activities for special-education students, followed by an 11 a.m. performance for students.

There also will be four art exhibits, created by children with disabilities, representing various workshops recently offered by VSA Tennessee.

At 1 p.m., the Nashville Symphony will lead a workshop connecting the arts to core concepts of literacy.

The hands-on opportunities will open again for the general public with art activities at 5:30 p.m. and a multifaceted performance at 7 p.m.

"Over the past 10 years, VSA Tennessee has worked tirelessly to bring the arts to all people and to celebrate the abilities of all people,"; said VSA Tennessee Executive Director Lori Kissinger. "The arts are an investment in the education of our children, the economy and the lasting imprint that our society leaves as a record for generations to come.";

The VSA celebration coinciding with MTSU's 100th anniversary year is especially meaningful, Kissinger said, because MTSU served as a "fiscal agent"; for the organization in its inaugural year, enabling it to survive until it could obtain 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.

Kissinger, who teaches organizational communication at MTSU, says students from her class are coordinating logistics, public relations and volunteers for the event. Other MTSU contributors include Omega Phi Alpha, Golden Key Club, the Department of Human Sciences and organizational-communication and communication-disorders faculty members.

Sponsors for VSA Tennessee's 10th-anniversary celebration include the National Endowment for the Arts, VSA's national offices, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the National Arts and Disability Center at the University of California-Los Angeles, the Memorial Foundation, Publix Supermarket Charities, First Tennessee Bank, Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, CVS/Caremark and Harman.

For more information, call 615-826-5252 or email userk7706@comcast.net.

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Mock-trial awards

CONVINCING ARGUMENTS—Kristin Johnson, left, and David J. Haggard of MTSU were among the top witnesses and attorneys in the opening round of the American Mock Trial Association's National Championship Tournament March 25-27 in Memphis. Haggard, a senior English major from Greenbrier, Tenn., received an award as one of the tournament's top attorneys. Johnson, a double major in political science and communications studies from Elmwood, Tenn., was recognized as one of the tournament's top witnesses. Both plan to attend law school after they graduate from MTSU. The MTSU team participated in the tournament after qualifying in an earlier regional competition at Mississippi College in Jackson, Miss. The team, consisting of Lee Whitwell, Rachel Harmon, David J. Haggard, Kristin Johnson, Kaitlin Beck, Eric Bisby, Lisa Starke and Constance Grieves, compiled a record of four wins, three losses and a tie in Memphis. They met teams from the University of Alabama, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, the Air Force Academy and Washington University in rounds, each of which had two scoring judges. Dr. John R. Vile, dean of the University Honors College, said that MTSU's mock-trial program dates back to 1989 and is among the most successful programs in the nation. He and local attorneys Brandi Snow, Shiva Bozarth and Kevin Rayburn serve as coaches for the MTSU teams.

photo submitted

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Labov bringing science-education effort to campus


The National Academy of Sciences' Jay Labov will speak Wednesday, April 13, on "Teaching Controversial Topics in Undergraduate Science: The Critical Need for Science as a Liberal Art in the 21st Century.";

The lecture is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Business and Aerospace Building's State Farm Lecture Hall. A reception will start at 6:30.

Labov is the senior adviser for education and communications for NAS and the National Research Council. His appearance, which is free and open to the public, is part of the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Series. Labov has directed production of 11 National Academies' reports focusing on teacher education, advanced study for high-school students, kindergarten through eighth-grade education and undergraduate education.

He oversees the NAS's efforts to confront challenges to teaching evolution in the nation's public schools as well as the academy's work with professional societies and state academies of science on education issues.

An organismal biologist by training, Labov spent 20 years on the Colby College biology department faculty before joining the NAS in 1997. He has received Kellogg, American Association for the Advancement of Science and Woodrow Wilson fellowship appointments.

His MTSU appearance is sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Fund as well as the Colleges of Graduate Studies, Liberal Arts, Basic and Applied Sciences, and Education; Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Sociology and Anthropology, and History; the American Democracy Project; the Learning Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center; the MTSU SENCER Team; the MTSU WISTEM Center; and the Nashville Local Section of the American Chemical Society.

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Student design show puts creativity on display

by Randy Weiler

Hundreds of garment submissions by MTSU students will be on display during the Spring 2011 Student Design Fashion Show, "Into the Wild: Discover the Undiscovered,"; on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in the James Union Building's Tennessee Room.

Dr. Jasmin Kwon, director of the fashion show, created the theme, which has three sub-categories: "tribal style,"; "wild wild nature"; and "adventures in fantasy wilderness.";

Kwon's class of 35 students, divided into six committees, has been planning the show for weeks.

"It gives MTSU textile-program students a chance to showcase their skills and creativity,"; said Melanie McClure, a senior textile-merchandising and design major from Chattanooga.

"We gather a lot of resources from our department and utilize two departments (merchandising and design),"; added Ashley Adkins, a senior from Nashville, who also is a textile-merchandising and design major. "This is our chance to show our skills that we have been learning for the last two years.";

One of the garment submissions is from Taylore Massa, a junior apparel-design major from Smyrna, whose silver garment was made from aluminum foil and paper.

Massa said her "inspiration was the book 'Rainbow Fish' for the 'wild, wild nature' category. I took a black cocktail dress and attached 'scales' made out of magazines and aluminum foil to the dress in an overlapping pattern using hot glue. The finished garment resembles a beautiful, shining fish from the ocean.";

A second submission is from Leslie Stephens, a senior textile-merchandising major from Nashville, who also said her garment is "inspired by 'wild, wild nature.' To quote Diane Von Furstenberg on leopard print, "If it looks good on animals, it looks good on us.";

Stephens' brown- and cream-colored jacket-and-skirt ensemble is made from 100 percent polyester.

The MTSU community and general public are invited. Ticket prices are $7 in advance, $10 at the door and $15 for VIP tickets.

For information, contact Kwon at 615-904-8340.

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Concrete Industry Management gains department status

by Randy Weiler

The MTSU Concrete Industry Management Program is now the MTSU Department of Concrete Industry Management.

Alumni and industry partners joined MTSU faculty and administrators for the announcement, which was made in the Tom H. Jackson Building on March 31.

In essence, CIM will leave the umbrella of the Department of Engineering Technology to become one of 10 departments in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. It was the first program of its kind in the country when students first took classes in fall 1996, and CIM saw its first seven graduates in 2000.

";I'm excited about what the future holds for CIM, working with the industry in new and radicalized ways in the amazing world of concrete,"; said University Provost Dr. Brad Bartel. "This (change) has a higher degree of visibility and distinctiveness.";

"We have a lot of past success, but we'll have a lot of future successes,"; added CIM Director Heather Brown. "I'm proud of our activity level.";

Brown, who will become department chair, said a new $8.5 million building to house CIM is planned for the east side of campus. She said about 25 percent of the funding is in place, and she expects construction to begin by late 2012.

"CIM is a great program,"; College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Tom Cheatham said. "It's amazing how passionate folks in the industry are. They support the program in every way.";

CIM offers a four-year Bachelor of Science degree for its majors, offering a broad education with technical knowledge and a solid business background. Currently, there are 315 majors and more than 500 alumni.

Bartel said that an "executive MBA degree to train students at a higher level"; soon would be added for the CIM department.

Known for its close industry ties and high job-placement rates, CIM has become one of the fastest-growing majors on campus.

Other CIM programs around the country are spinoffs of the MTSU program, including those offered at Arizona State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Chico State in California and Texas State University.

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Antenna system to eliminate wireless 'dead zones'

by Tom Tozer

In December 2010, MTSU signed a contract with Longent LLC to install a Distributed Antenna System throughout campus to add wireless-communication coverage and capacity to campus.

A design for the placement of antennae is currently under way. The system should be fully operational by fall.

Wireless carriers have sought ways to expand coverage areas because of increased wireless use on campus, but building another communications tower would require space that just doesn't exist at MTSU. Installing a DAS eliminates the need for a large tower by strategically placing smaller antennae on rooftops.

If those external antennae don't provide the needed coverage, some antennae, resembling smoke detectors, will be installed inside certain facilities.

"When you start to look at the growth of the use of the smart phones and the increasing demands, there are many dead spots on the campus,"; said Bruce Petryshak, vice president of information technology. "We're trying to future-proof the University as best you can with this kind of technology.";

Eliminating dead zones on campus will be particularly important with emergency notification, he noted. The basement of the Cope Administration Building, for example, is one designated "safe place"; for tornado warnings, but cell phones often don't receive a signal in that area. The DAS will allow building runners in Cope and more isolated areas to communicate with public-safety officials and find out when an all-clear has been issued.

"Longent is a neutral partner providing the infrastructure for the system,"; noted Steve Prichard, telecommunications director, who helped prepare the request for the proposal and is working closely on the project.

"Longent makes it possible for the carriers to connect into this antennae system, and their signal is then broadcast over the network. It's a very localized system. It's focused much more on getting coverage within a small geographic area. It's designed to cover the core campus.";

Prichard said DAS is referred to as a microcell system. Traditional large towers are macrocell systems.

"Distributed antenna systems were first used in sports venues, stadiums, arenas and also airports,"; Prichard said. "It has now expanded to universities, hospitals and convention centers—places where masses of people come together and want to use their phones for voice or data purposes.";

"At a football game, for example, you can have a lot of people (in one place), and density suddenly becomes important,"; Petryshak added. "Everyone is looking up a web page or posting photos. The beauty of it is it's not vendor-specific. Whatever carrier you have on campus that participates on the network will have top connectivity.";

Prichard said he anticipates that AT&T and Verizon will come on board. Those two carriers comprise about 80 percent of those registered with Rave Wireless, the emergency-notification system MTSU uses. He said the DAS can accommodate four or more carriers, so he hopes other phone services will become part of it.

"The carriers have seen the growth at MTSU and figured out that it would be nice to serve that market,"; Prichard said. "They have anticipated this explosion in smart phones, wireless devices, tablets and so on. They see that people are pulling more and more traffic from the wireless carriers than ever before. They want to give the user the best possible service.";

The whole thing won't cost MTSU a dime.

"As the carriers come on board, they will pay an access fee,"; Petryshak said. "We have a third-party company that's putting in the system. They will make the arrangements with the carriers, and that's how they get paid.";

"It's been estimated that it would cost $1 million to $2 million to install the DAS,"; Prichard added. "If only two carriers sign on, it would be a 50-50 cost. If we get two carriers to come on right away, it will make it more lucrative for additional carriers to come on. Everyone would share the cost. Each carrier would have its own specific equipment to carry a signal, but they would share a distribution infrastructure put together by our third-party provider.

"We should see a big improvement in making and receiving phone calls and the use of data devices,"; Prichard added.

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Martin Chair golf tourney set April 19 at Champions Run

from Staff Reports

Insurance Liaison Committee members are hoping to see another large field for the 27th annual BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance Golf Tournament, which will be held Tuesday, April 19.

"It's easily the main fundraiser for our program,"; Dr. Ken Hollman, Martin Chair of Insurance chair, said of the tournament at Champions Run Golf Course in Rockvale.

Chattanooga-based BCBST again is the main corporate sponsor with a $7,500 contribution. Hollman added that Special Touch of Murfreesboro is making a $2,500 contribution, while Jack Morris Glass is providing lunch.

Golfers can begin registering at 10:30 a.m. on the day of the tournament. It will begin with a noon shotgun start in the best-ball, scramble format. A meal and awards presentation will begin around 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Hollman at 615-898-2673 or khollman@mtsu.edu.

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Accounting alumni event scheduled

by Randy Weiler

The 20th annual Accounting Alumni Appreciation Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, April 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building.

The event targets those interested in accounting, taxation and computer training. The fee is $100 for MTSU alumni and $150 for all other attendees. Net proceeds will be earmarked for accounting scholarships, and lunch will be provided.

Participants will earn eight hours of Continuing Professional Education credit and have the opportunity to visit with alumni and former professors and see how the campus configuration is changing.

Aaron Beam, co-founder and first chief financial officer of HealthSouth, will open the conference with a session on Wagon to Disaster.

Dr. Joe Huddleston, executive director of the Multistate Tax Commission, will discuss national developments in state business taxation and the Multistate Tax Commission.

Breakout sessions and leaders will include the following MTSU professors:

  • Bill Mooningham, who will provide an American Institute of CPAs update;
  • Drs. Mary Phillips and Tammy Bahmanziari, who will discuss XBRL, or EXtensible Business Reporting Language;
  • Dr. Pat Wall, who'll present an employment-law update;
  • Dr. Jeannie Harrington, who plans to discuss contemporary cost-managerial practices;
  • Dr. Lara Daniel, who'll tackle "The Constitutionality of Health Care Law";;
  • Dr. Denise Leggett, who will discuss issues in taxation;
  • Dr. Paula Thomas, who'll provide a Financial Accounting Standards Board update; and
  • Dr. Robert "Smitty"; Smith, who will bring a Governmental Accounting Standards Board update.


Rick Murray, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Commerce Union Bank, also will discuss information technology during a breakout session. Seating is limited, so participants should register early at www.mtsu.edu/accounting . For more information, call the MTSU Department of Accounting at 615-898-5306.

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Register now for See Spot Run 5K


Participants are being encouraged again to run with their dogs in the annual See Spot Run 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, May 14.

The event, which is sponsored by MTSU's Office of Leadership and Service, supports MTSU's Habitat Blitz Build and the Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity.

It all begins at 6:30 a.m. with registration at Peck Hall, followed by the 8 a.m. race start on campus.

The entry fee is $20 per person before Sunday, May 8, and $25 until race day. Organizers also are offering a group rate to student organizations and faculty; groups of 10 or more participants may race at $15 per entry.

Entry fees include a T-shirt to the first 200 participants and awards to the top age-group finishers. The 5K course is both flat and fast. Participants can register at http://bit.ly/SeeSpotRun11 .

For more information, please contact the MTSU Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812.

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Digital dedication




MORE ACCESSIBLE—College of Media and Entertainment graduate student Barry Blair works on his Master of Fine Arts degree portfolio in the Walker Library Digital Media Studio March 22 during an open house for faculty. The studio offers 12 iMacs with 27-inch monitors, eight Dell PCs with 22-inch monitors and an array of open-source and commercial software to enhance students' multimedia presentations. Librarians and student assistants are available to help students with their projects. Funding for the studio, which opened last fall, comes from Student Technology Access Fees. The studio is open during regular library hours. For more information about the new Digital Media Studio, call 615-904-8526 or visit http://library.mtsu.edu/digitalmediastudio .

photo by News and Media Relations

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2011 football season tickets on sale now

from MT Athletic Communications

2011 football season tickets are now on sale at the Middle Tennessee ticket office, and the good news is that the prices will be the same as last year.

More good news is that the Blue Raiders will play six home games again this year, including September games against Georgia Tech and Memphis. On the schedule also are four Sun Belt conference games, highlighted by the traditional battle with rival Western Kentucky in October.

Reserved sideline tickets for the six-game package are $100 each, while reserved campus-sideline seats are $70. Chairbacks and club-level seats are $135 and $100, respectively, but they require a minimum donation to the Blue Raider Athletic Association of $250 for chairbacks or $500 for club-level seats.

A general-admission pass to the upper deck is $75 per person for all six games. End-zone general admission for the season is only $50 per person. Reserved sideline seating for groups of 20 or more is $85 per set of season tickets.

Marco Born, director of ticketing, also announced an incentive program for renewal of 2010 tickets.

"If fans renew their season tickets in full by the renewal date deadline of June 15, for every five season tickets the account holder renews, they will receive the official Blue Raider Season Ticket T-Shirt.";

Reserved single-game tickets, which will be available Aug. 1, are $25 for sideline seats for Georgia Tech, $22 for Memphis and $18 for Sun Belt Conference games with Western Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas State and Florida International. End-zone reserved seats are $20 for Georgia Tech, $18 for Memphis and $17 for SBC games. General-admission upper deck is $18 for Georgia Tech, $15 for Memphis and $12 for Sun Belt games. Student guest and group rates for the Georgia Tech game are $12; all the rest of the games are $8. The ticket office also will have tickets to the game with Tennessee in Knoxville on a priority basis.

Season tickets may be purchased by calling the ticket office at 888-YES-MTSU (888-937-6878) or visiting www.goblueraiders.com .

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Baobab tree photo exhibit closes April 14

"The Baobab: Tree of Generations"; exhibit is on display in MTSU's Baldwin Photographic Gallery through Thursday, April 14.

The photographer, Elaine Ling, was born in Hong Kong but has lived in Canada since age nine. She studied piano, cello and medicine. Upon graduation from medical school, Ling became a family physician with the First Nation populations of northern Canada.

Her images' life began a 20-year journey in photography, exploring the shifting equilibrium between nature and the man-made across four continents. Ling has photographed in the deserts of Mongolia, Namibia, North Africa, India, South America, Australia and the American Southwest and in the citadels of Persepolis, Petra, Cappadocia, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat and Great Zimbabwe.

Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The Baldwin Photographic Gallery is located in the McWherter Learning Resources Center; its operating hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

For information about the exhibit, call 615-898-2085.

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MTSU Around the Country: Mass-comm grad Strickland still aiming high

by Tom Tozer

Some MTSU alumni are almost impossible to follow because they're continually on the move, aspiring to newer and greater heights. Ken Strickland (B.S.'89) is one of them.

Strickland, an MTSU football player-to-be turned-mass communication major, recently was promoted to deputy bureau chief at NBC News in Washington, D.C.

"It's very different from what I've done for the past 14 years in the field as a beat producer,"; Strickland said. "You can do a lot as an individual producer or reporter, but as a manager, you can really help effect change on a much larger scale. It's an evolving industry, and I'm excited about NBC News.";

Strickland started at WKRN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Nashville. He also worked at WVTM, the NBC affiliate in Birmingham, Ala., where he won a Peabody Award for a documentary. He considers working as a tape editor for CNN in Atlanta as his first "real job"; after college. He joined NBC in 1995 and served as an associate producer for "Dateline."; Two years later, he was named White House producer, then moved to helping cover Capitol Hill.

Strickland's interest in journalism evolved from the high-school gridiron in Joliet, Ill., to making the Blue Raider football team as a walk-on player.

"I wanted to play football, but my high-school coach also knew that I had an interest in communication,"; he said. "My coach had gone to MTSU for a clinic under Boots Donnelly, and he came back and said to me, 'Strickland, there is this school you should look at. It's a Division 1-AA school in football, and they have a really good communications program.'

"So I got on the bus and met with the MTSU coaches and also with (Dr.) Dennis Oneal in the (then-)School of Communication. I was trying to decide between going to Southern Illinois and MTSU. As it turned out, Dr. Oneal did his undergraduate work at Southern Illinois, and he encouraged me to go to MTSU. I ended up quitting football before the season started, but I stuck around for the communication program.";

Strickland has no regrets about his lackluster football career, nor do Blue Raider football and NBC. Today, Strickland coaches students who want to pursue a big-league career in journalism.

"We get a lot of applications for interns, and one of the things that puts some candidates above the others is their educational background."; Strickland said. "My experience at MTSU—and I was there long before digital journalism crept in—put me far ahead of my competitors.";

Strickland advises college students to do as many internships as they can and gain real-world experience.

"By the time I graduated from college, I had already done enough internships and had had enough part-time jobs where I was writing for WSMV, the NBC affiliate in Nashville, on the weekend, editing tape for WTVF, the local CBS affiliate, and had gotten an internship at CNN between my junior and senior years where I was editing stuff during the 1988 Democratic Convention for broadcast. None of that would have been possible had I not learned those skills while in college.

"I really think the foundation I got at MTSU was, for me, what made the difference,"; he continued. "I was talking with the interns this morning, telling them that being successful is about 'buffet service,' not about 'white-tablecloth service,' where people come to you with menus. You have to get up and go get it.";

Strickland added that faculty and staff at MTSU, "specifically (Dr.) Bob Spires and Pat Jackson, were a critical part of my development as a student—they and others were a constant source of encouragement and guidance.";

Strickland and his wife, Christina, have two children, ages 9 and 4. The family has lived in suburban Maryland since 1995.

"I'm on the Board of Visitors for the College of Media and Entertainment, but it's been a few years since I've been back to MTSU. It's been hard to find the time. I'd like to get back and talk to the students,"; he said.



VETERAN NEWSMAN—Shown above is an article by MTSU alumnus Ken Strickland, then a producer for NBC News, posted during the 2010 congressional campaign.

photos submitted


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Friz honored as top business professor

from Staff Reports

Edward Friz, an instructor in the Department of Management and Marketing, has been chosen "Outstanding Professor in the College of Business"; in an election sponsored by the insurance fraternity Gamma Iota Sigma.

Students in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business announced the award after a vote on March 17. Every professor in the College of Business was a candidate for the honor. All students with a major or minor in the college were eligible to vote.

A total of 457 votes were cast, and Friz received 72—more than his nearest competitor.

"My teaching style is a hybrid of both psychology and marketing theories,"; Friz said. "My classroom philosophy is to create a lighthearted learning environment using real-life examples found in today's headlines. I encourage students to be a part of the learning experience by sharing their own relevant stories and life lessons, and I believe it is very important that my students enjoy learning as much as I enjoy teaching.";

Gamma Iota Sigma gives the award as part of its competition with 50 other chapters across the country. The award is given only at MTSU.

Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of the Martin Chair of Insurance in the College of Business and adviser for Gamma Iota Sigma, praised Friz.

"Mr. Friz is devoted to the students and his profession,"; Hollman said. "He is well-prepared, current in his field and can relate extremely well to today's student.

"The students in our fraternity and I feel that naming an outstanding professor each year is a way to provide psychological encouragement to the faculty for doing a good job,"; Hollman added.

Friz has been an instructor in management and marketing at MTSU since 2003. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from MTSU.

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Campus Calendar April 11-24, 2011

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+ (Comcast 250): Sundays, 1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other airtimes or www.youtube.com/user/MTSUOutoftheBlue 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

April 12: MTSU Baseball vs. Vanderbilt, 6 p.m.
April 13: MTSU Baseball vs. Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m.
April 15-17: MTSU Baseball vs. Troy (6, 4 and 1 p.m.)
April 16: MTSU Soccer vs. Belmont, 4 p.m.
April 17: MTSU Soccer vs. soccer alumni, 2 p.m.
April 20: MTSU Softball vs. Western Kentucky, 6 p.m.
April 22-24: MTSU Baseball vs. Louisiana-Monroe (6, 4 and 1 p.m.)
April 23-24: MTSU Softball vs. Troy (1 p.m. and noon)
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com .

Through April 14
Photography Exhibit: Elaine Ling, "The Baobab: Tree of Generations";
Baldwin Photo Gallery, Learning Resources Center
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday; noon-4 p.m. Saturday
For information, contact: 615-898-2085.

Monday, April 11
Spring Honors Lecture Series: Dr. Bob Pondillo, "Creativity, Storytelling and Movies";
3 p.m., Room 106, Honors Amphitheatre
For information, visit the Honors College website or contact: 615-898-2152.

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

Spring Choral Concert
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com or contact: 615-898-2493.

Tuesday, April 12
Tornado Siren Testing Date
12:20 p.m., campuswide
For information, contact: 615-898-2424.

William M. Bass Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship: Dr. Jan Garavaglia, "Forensic Pathology: Fact and Fiction";
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, contact: 615-494-7713.

Wednesday, April 13
MTSU Guitar Ensemble
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Thursday, April 14
Retired Faculty/Staff Coffee
9:30 a.m., Foundation House
For information, contact: 615-898-2922.

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

Friday, April 15
Spring 2011 Student Design Fashion Show
7 p.m., Tennessee Room, JUB
Tickets: $7 advance;, $10 door
For information, see page 5 or contact: 615-904-8340.

Sunday, April 17
MTSU Symphony Orchestra
4 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

MTSU Chinese Film Festival: "In the Mood for Love";
6 p.m., Room 103, Bragg Mass Communication Building
For information, contact: 615-898-2217 or 615-904-8365.

April 18-19
The Clothesline Project
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Keathley University Center Knoll
For information, contact: 615-898-5989.

Tuesday, April 19
"Take Back the Night/Walk a Mile in Her Shoes'
6 p.m., KUC Knoll
For information, contact: 615-898-5989.

April 21-23
MTSU Dance Theatre: Spring Dance Concert
7:30 nightly, Tucker Theatre
Admission: $10 adults; $5 for MTSU faculty, staff and K-12 students; MTSU students free
For information, visit http://bit.ly/MTTheatre10-11 or contact: 615-494-8810.

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