The Record, May 23, 2011, V19.22



Read the full-color PDF version here!


>>Top of Page



2 more MTSU faculty receive Fulbrights

by Tom Tozer and Randy Weiler


Two MTSU professors have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships, which will take them across the globe to teach, conduct research and extend the hand of partnership to other universities.

Dr. Mohammed Albakry, associate professor of English, will prepare for a year's residence in Morocco this fall, where he will teach linguistics at the University of Mohammad the Fifth. The university is one of that nation's largest and its first modern university, he said.

Albakry's assignment will be for 10 months, comprising the 2011-12 academic year. Albakry's wife, Judy, is an academic adviser in MTSU's College of Liberal Arts.

"In addition to teaching, I will be kind of an ambassador of American scholarship, linking the two countries together, forging partnerships with scholars there, giving lectures in different places," Mohammed Albakry said. "It could certainly result in bringing scholars from there to MTSU."

Albakry, who is a native of Egypt, said he chose North Africa as a destination, and Morocco in particular, because he enjoyed an international conference there.

"It's a very interesting place—where East meets West," he said. "For linguists, it's a good location to be in for research and writing, because of the diversity of the Moroccan linguistic landscape."

The professor says he wants this experience to become a permanent, positive memory for the couple's children. Their son, Sami, 5½, is in kindergarten, and their daughter, Amanda, 3½, is in day care.

"I see this as a growing experience where they will be exposed to different environments and cultures in this formative stage of their lives," he noted.

Dr. Mark Byrnes, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said he is "delighted that Dr. Mohammed Albakry of our English department has won a Fulbright to Morocco. He joins Dr. Richard Pace, who will be going to Brazil. "

The latest announcements mean MTSU students and faculty have received five Fulbright awards in one year. History professor Dr. Sean Foley will extend his current Fulbright in Malaysia through fall 2011. MTSU senior Kim Yarborough was offered a Fulbright for an English teaching assistantship in Spain, and recent graduate Patrick Pratt received a Fulbright to research poverty in Tanzania.

"To have three faculty members and two students on Fulbrights in the same year is outstanding and reflects the excellent quality of our faculty and students," Byrnes said.

Pace, a professor of sociology and anthropology, said the Fulbright Teaching and Research Award will "provide me with an excellent opportunity to accomplish this level of intellectual exchange as I teach and conduct my research in Brazil.

"This is an important milestone I have not had the opportunity to fulfill during my academic career," he added, noting that he will head to the Brazilian Amazon to teach and conduct research during the 2011-12 academic year.

His time in Brazil begins this summer by directing two study-abroad programs affiliated with MTSU: the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies in Fortaleza and Rio, followed by the University's ethnographic field school in the Amazonian community of Gurupá.

"The latter trip will include seven MTSU students who will conduct undergraduate research in the rain forest while learning about anthropological field techniques," Pace said.

Pace will participate in an archaeological project in Gurupá in July, funded in part by a Faculty Research and Creative Activity Committee grant from MTSU.

In August, Pace will begin his teaching duties, all in Portuguese, at the Federal University of Pará in Belem, which is located at the mouth of the Amazon River.

In addition to teaching, he will conduct ethnographic research on the socioenvironmental impact of the Belo Monte Dam on downstream communities, including Gurupá. Once completed, Pace noted, Belo Monte will be the third largest dam in the world and will create massive environmental changes for the people who depend upon the forest and river for their livelihoods.

During his Fulbright year, Pace will work with colleagues from the Federal University of Pará to publish an edited volume in Portuguese on seven decades of anthropological research in the community of Gurupá as well as publishing his data on the cross-cultural impact of television. ( Please click here for details on a photo exhibit, which includes work from Pace, detailing MTSU's anthropological work in the Amazon for the last seven decades.)

Pace said he also will work to expand MTSU exchange opportunities for students and faculty in Brazil.


>>Top of Page



On the Hill


(Click the headline above for a link to the photo.)


>>Top of Page



NASA FOCUS Lab is breaking down barriers to learning

by Sydney L. Warneke


Students are leaving college and entering the aviation-industry job market with only "independent silos" of training, says MTSU aerospace professor Dr. Paul A. Craig—training that isn't completely realistic to how flight operations run in the field.

To break down these "silos" and promote cross-disciplinary communications, the Department of Aerospace at MTSU is using its NASA Flight Operations Center-Unified Simulation, or FOCUS, Lab to train students in real-life scenarios and create needed interaction between students in diverse areas of study.

"Once students enter the job market, they realize that success and efficiency depend on cross-disciplinary communications and understanding," Craig says. "We want to prepare the next generation of aviation professionals in a real-world environment and enable employees to perform better on the job from the first days of hire."

Underrepresented students also have an open door into the NASA FOCUS experience. The Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, or TLSAMP, at MTSU provides learning opportunities for minority students who are majoring in science, technology, engineering or math.

Craig, who directs the training program, says this is his fourth NASA-grant project. The current program includes a team of seven undergraduate and graduate students representing areas of aerospace, psychology and TLSAMP.

Students in different academic areas traditionally learn in isolated clusters, Craig explains, but the NASA FOCUS Lab allows students from various disciplines to interact with one another. The professor says he believes such collaborative learning better prepares students for the workforce.

In the aviation industry, for example, "these interactions can produce smooth and safe operations for passengers, profits for employers and economic benefits for the nation and world," Craig points out.

Billy Whisman, a senior flight dispatch student, says the work he has accomplished in the program is extremely valuable when it comes to finding a job in his discipline.

"I realized that dispatch is where my passion is, and now I am going full-force into that," he says. "Plus, when an employer asks me questions about certain situations in a job interview, I can think back to what I decided during that lab time."

Rebekah Cavaliere, an aerospace major with a professional-pilot concentration, says the program exposed her to the "big picture" of the airline industry and allowed her to see behind the scenes.

"I was placed in the lab as one of two pilots," Cavaliere says. "Our jobs were to dispatch and direct flights as well as keep track of any delays. We were responsible for communicating with the flight-dispatch operator, maintenance control and maintenance coordinator as any issues came up."

As a result of what they've learned at MTSU, Craig says, students will be able to make good decisions when they are forced to react in real-life work situations.

Sydney L. Warneke, a journalism major, graduated May 7 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. She worked as a practicum student for the Office of News and Media Relations during the spring 2011 semester.





HANDS-ON LEARNING—Students train in MTSU's NASA FOCUS Lab in the Business and Aerospace Building. In the photo above, Charity Somma, front, and Colin Kerley, second from front, work in the flight-operations data positions during a three-hour simulation. At right is Marvin Hood, working as flight-operations coordinator, while Kyler Garmen handles maintenance planning and scheduling and Alden Stokes works maintenance control in the back of the lab. In the photo below, aerospace Assistant Professor Andrea Georgiou, standing, works with Hood, Somma and Kerley in the center of the lab as Twyla Frazier, left, and Sean Torman, right, concentrate on their tasks during the three-hour simulation in the NASA FOCUS Lab. Georgiou is coordinator of the aerospace flight-dispatch program.

MTSU Photographic Services photos by Andy Heidt


>>Top of Page



In Brief: Summer at Campus Rec

The $50 summer family membership for MTSU employees is back at Campus Recreation through the end of August! "Family" includes the employee, a spouse and dependent children up to age 21. Families also may be interested in summer camps, which begin May 31. For more information, call 615-898-2104, or stop by the Campus Rec Office 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.


>>Top of Page



For the Record: Changes beginning for transfer-student services

by Dr. Debra Sells


In our ongoing efforts to better serve transfer students wishing to enroll at MTSU, Provost Brad Bartel, Dean Mike Boyle and I are pleased to announce a number of changes affecting this important group of students. As the result of the hard work of a number of MTSU folks who work closely with transfer students, several new programs are under way.

Beginning this summer, MTSU Financial Aid will be able to serve as the home institution for consortium agreements, allowing MTSU students with additional summer financial aid eligibility to apply that financial aid to summer classes at a local, in-state community college. Similarly, community-college students, or students from other four-year institutions within Tennessee who wish to take summer courses at MTSU, will be able to use available financial aid from their home institutions to cover costs on our campus. Students interested in this program should contact Stephen White in the Office of Financial Aid, located in Room 218 in the Cope Administration Building, or at swhite@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2422.

As you may know, MTSU recently signed a dual-admission agreement with Chattanooga State, and we already have a dual-admission agreement in place with Nashville State. We are hoping to finalize a similar agreement with Motlow in the near future. The dual-admission program allows qualified students to be admitted to MTSU contingent upon their successful completion of an associate's degree at their community-college campus. Dual-admission students may receive academic advising from the MTSU University College Advising Center to help seamlessly transfer credits.

To clarify communication with our community-college partners and to insure consistency in the key contacts to those campuses, community-college recruitment and transfer admissions have been consolidated within our undergraduate Admissions Office. Michelle Blackwell, who has served as director of the independent Transfer Student Services Office at MTSU, will now be working within undergraduate admissions to help create a smooth admissions process for transfer students. She will be working closely with Matt Hannah, who has served for several years as the undergraduate-admissions recruiter assigned to community colleges.

Michelle and Matt will now work together to provide community colleges with their own specific admissions representative to work on-site consistently with students. Michelle and Matt will provide all services to students up to the point of their admission to MTSU, and they also will coordinate memoranda of agreement and articulation agreements, 2+2 programs, reverse transfers and dual enrollments. Michelle's new location will be in Cope 208; her telephone number and email address remain the same (615-898-2237 and emblackw@mtsu.edu). As a result of these changes, the former Transfer Student Services Office in the McFarland Building will be closed, and students looking for transfer-admission information should be directed to Cope 208.

Advising for transfer students, previously coordinated through Michelle Blackwell and Transfer Student Services, will now become a part of the University College Advising Center under the direction of Dr. Laurie Witherow. Dusty Doddridge has been reassigned to the UCAC and will be working with transfer students to connect them to faculty advisers as they declare majors and enter MTSU. He may be reached through the UCAC main telephone line at 615-898-2339 or directly at 615-904-8373 or via email at jdoddrid@mtsu.edu. Transfer students looking for general academic-advising information should be directed to the UCAC in the McFarland Building.

The University College will continue to be responsible for all off-campus programs, operation of the Middle Tennessee Education Center in Shelbyville and MTSU's Adult Degree Completion Program.

We appreciate the work of all of our staff who dedicate themselves to assisting transfer students in joining the MTSU family, and we encourage you to contact Michelle, Matt and Dusty if they may be of service to you or your students. Thanks.

Dr. Debra Sells is vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services.


>>Top of Page



Alumni honored at record-setting spring graduation



Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, stressed the values of integrity and public service to the graduates recognized May 7 at MTSU's 100th spring commencement.

Gwyn, a 1985 MTSU alumnus, delivered the keynote speech at the first of two spring 2011 graduation ceremonies. The University awarded more than 2,400 degrees, setting a record for the spring ceremony.

"There has never been a better time for forward-thinking people," said Gwyn, who encouraged graduates assembled at Murphy Center to "seek out and embrace change and actively seek out and find ways to grow throughout your lives.

"With some dedication and perseverance, you will eventually accomplish your dreams," added Gwyn, the first African-American to lead Tennessee's largest law-enforcement agency.

Gwyn, who was reappointed in 2010 to a second six-year term as TBI director, was among five alumni recognized by the University during commencement as 2010-11 Distinguished Alumni. Others were:

  • Michael Latterell (B.S. '03), who was honored for young alumni achievement. Latterell has been nominated for five Grammy Awards as a recording engineer and won a 2009 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album;
  • H.G. "Pete" Taylor (B.S. '60), who was honored for service to the community. Taylor served for 33 years in the U.S. Army, including roles as commanding general of the 24th Infantry Division and the National Training Center; and
  • Don and Hanna Witherspoon, who were honored for service to the community. The Witherspoons graduated from MTSU in 1964 and have served their alma mater in a variety of volunteer and fundraising roles.

Dr. Hershel "Pat" Wall, special assistant to the president of the University of Tennessee, was the keynote speaker for the 1 p.m. ceremony. Wall, a Murfreesboro native, spent more than 50 years on the UT Health Science Center's Memphis campus serving in various roles, including chancellor and interim dean of medicine.

MTSU divides its spring and fall commencements into two ceremonies to accommodate its large graduation classes. In September, MTSU will celebrate the centennial of its founding.

Candidates recognized at spring 2011 commencement surpassed the mark set in spring 2009, when 2,147 were honored.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee urged graduates at the May 7 ceremonies to "enjoy this time of excitement and bask in the glory that comes with this day.

"Although you may feel that the long journey is now over, those of us here at MTSU see this time of commencement as being a comma, rather than a period, in your lives," McPhee said. "This is just the beginning of even greater things to come."

Gwyn, whose entire career has been spent in law enforcement, extolled the values of public service and urged graduates to consider such options. "Helping victims see justice served keeps me going for many days," he said.

The TBI director told graduates that "MTSU is a good foundation for your future," but noted that they will face tests of character. He urged them to act with integrity and build enduring relationships with family, friends and community.

Integrity, he said, is "deliberately doing the right thing, even if no one knows what you have done."

Wall, also a retired colonel and physician in the U.S. Army Reserve, urged graduates at the afternoon ceremony to share their talents and skills with their communities and "enjoy the journey ahead … this is only the beginning.

"I am particularly proud to be an alumnus of the No. 1 choice of undergraduates in Tennessee," added Wall, who graduated from MTSU in 1957 and spoke fondly of faculty role models from his undergraduate studies.

"If you have valued your education, invest in the future of where you received it," he said. "Don't wait to be asked."

To see a small slideshow of photos from commencement, go to the MTSU News "Spring 2011 Commencement" photo gallery at Flickr by clicking here.


>>Top of Page



Work under way on women's basketball offices

from MT Athletic Communications


Alumnus Ken "Coach" Shipp knocked down the first wall May 4 as renovations for MTSU's women's basketball coaches' offices got under way, almost three months to the day of Shipp's $1 million gift announcement.

On Feb. 5, at halftime of the women's basketball game between Middle Tennessee and South Alabama, Shipp made a commitment of $1 million to his alma mater. A large portion of the gift was designated to renovate and upgrade the women's basketball coaching offices, providing a suite for all the coaches in one location.

The balance of the monetary commitment is to go toward scholarships for Rutherford County students who plan to attend Middle Tennessee.

Shipp joined Women's Basketball Coach Rick Insell in a ceremonial knocking-down of the first wall to start the renovation process. Other dignitaries at the ceremony were MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee; Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations; Director of Athletics Chris Massaro; Diane Turnham, associate athletic director and senior woman's administrator; members of the women's basketball coaching staff and other MTSU administrators.

"I am excited for Coach Shipp. He is like a kid at Christmas," said Insell. "He has been looking forward to this since he made the gift to us. Every day he comes in and talks about it. He is excited about it, and he keeps me excited about it."

Insell said that he and his staff have been so busy with recruiting and getting things lined up for next season that the timing of the project was perfect.

Work on the project also helps in recruiting, officials said. Insell and his staff no longer have to show potential recruits the artists' renderings of the new facility; they can see the work being done.

"They (the recruits) know when they get here, it will be ready, and that means a lot," Insell said. "My staff is excited, I am excited and we are all excited for Coach Shipp."


TAKE DOWN THAT WALL—Alumnus Ken "Coach" Shipp, shown above, takes the first few swings at a wall in the MTSU women's basketball coaches' offices May 4. Shipp, who donated $1 million in February to fund the renovations and pay for scholarships, joined other Lady Raider supporters during a special "groundbreaking" event in Murphy Center. The sledgehammer he used, complete with inscription, is shown in the photo above left. A slideshow of photos from the event is available at www.goblueraiders.com .

photos courtesy of MTSU Athletic Communications/Travis Woods


>>Top of Page



Guitar Festival drawing top musicians to MTSU

by Gina K. Logue


Some of the nation's finest guitarists will converge on MTSU's Wright Music Building June 1-4 for the 10th annual Tennessee Guitar Festival, when the event will have its first national-level competition.

A total of more than $3,600 in prizes will be offered, including a $1,500 first prize for the Solo Competition. The finals of the Solo Competition will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 4.

Guitarists aged 18 and younger who have not begun college may enter the Youth Competition, where they will vie for first, second and third prizes of $300, $200 and $100.

Among the headliners scheduled to attend this year's festival are Roger Hudson, Rene Gonzalez and Jose Lezcano, who are slated to perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 1. Matt Palmer will take the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 2, and William Kanengiser will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, June 3.

Admission for each concert is $10 per person.

In addition, a composers' workshop and a luthier/vendor fair are part of the festivities. All competition applications must be received by Friday, May 27.



Hudson holds a master's degree in music theory from Georgia State University. The late country legend Chet Atkins praised his "great compositions," and, according to his website, www.rogerhudson.com, "Hudson's compositions are flavored with blues, jazz and the varied influences of his youth."

Lezcano, a two-time Grammy Award nominee, is a professor of music at Keene State College in New Hampshire. He has been described by New Millennium Guitar magazine as "a superb guitarist as well as a first-rate composer and arranger."

Gonzalez is an associate professor and program director of classical guitar at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. He also is founder of The Ruck Ensemble, a professional classical guitar group.

The recipient of the 2010 "Up-and-Coming Guitarist of the Year" award from Guitar International magazine, Palmer began his formal studies with Dr. William Yelverton, professor of guitar at MTSU, and earned his master's degree at Appalachian State University.

"He has performed at this festival three times, and every time he has received a standing ovation," Yelverton says of Palmer. "Matt is the most gifted guitarist I've seen in my 22 years of college teaching.He is simply one of America's finest young virtuosos."

Kanengiser is a Grammy winner and founding member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. His repertoire includes arrangements of the works of Mozart, Bartok and Handel, among others. Kanengiser has been a member of the faculty of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music since 1983.

Supporters of the event include the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, NashvilleArts Magazine, the D'Addario Music Foundation, the Arts Builds Communities Program, the MTSU Instructional Development Committee, the MTSU Office of Sponsored Programs and the MTSU School of Music.

For more information, click on the Tennessee Guitar Festival graphic above or email Yelverton at yelverto@mtsu.edu or concertguitar@comcast.net.


>>Top of Page



Anderson Scholars honored




SPECIAL STUDENTS—2011 June S. Anderson Foundation Scholarship award winners Rhonda Davidson, left, and Nancy Kini, right, celebrate their accomplishments during a May 12 luncheon at the MTSU Foundation House. Joining the scholars are Drs. Mary Magada-Ward, foundation president and philosophy professor, center left, and Andrienne Friedli, foundation vice president and chemistry professor. Davidson, a resident of Martin, Tenn., is majoring in construction management and plans to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when she completes her degree in fall 2012. She also received the Anderson Scholarship for 2010. Kini, a resident of Murfreesboro, is majoring in accounting and plans to continue with her current employer, Specialty Products Global LLC, when she graduates in spring 2012. The late Dr. June Anderson, shown in the inset photo, was MTSU's first female chemistry professor. She created the foundation that carries her name in 1982 with local attorney Margaret Behm to help close the gender gap in earnings. The annual award covers full tuition for full-time female undergraduates who are age 23 or older and preparing for careers in nontraditional fields for women. For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~jsa .

MTSU Photographic Services photo by J. Intintoli


>>Top of Page



11-week series of CUSTOMS orientations begins

by Sydney L. Warneke


As summer begins, incoming freshman students will venture to campus for MTSU's annual CUSTOMS program.

CUSTOMS is the new-student orientation program that helps acquaint students with what will be their new academic and social home for the next few years. The program aims to ease the transition of new students into college and decrease their anxiety.

Eleven sessions are scheduled to take place, beginning May 25-26 and continuing all the way through July.

While CUSTOMS is not mandatory, students are strongly encouraged to attend so they can familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Reservations are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so students should register as early as possible.

During the course of each two-day program, students will be shown the campus and local environment while also being taught the policies, procedures, requirements and programs of MTSU. Representatives from the Admissions Office and Office of Financial Aid, along with the Office of Housing and Residential Life, are involved in CUSTOMS as well as other campus departments.

Students attending CUSTOMS will be accommodated with on-campus housing in one of MTSU's residence halls. Families are strongly encouraged to attend the session with their students, and the University offers a separate program to answer parents' and guardians' questions and familiarize them with their students' new environment.

For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/customs or call 615-898-5533.

Summer 2011 CUSTOMS dates for students entering MTSU in fall 2011 include:

  • May 25-26—all scholarship students;
  • June 2-3—for College of Business, Liberal Arts, Mass Communication or Education majors;
  • June 7-8—for College of Basic and Applied Sciences or Behavioral and Health Science majors;
  • June 10-11—business, liberal-arts, mass-comm or education majors;
  • June 15-16 and June 21-22—basic and applied sciences or behavioral and health sciences majors;
  • July 6-7— business, liberal-arts, mass-comm or education majors;
  • July 14-15—basic and applied sciences or behavioral and health sciences majors;
  • July 19-20— business, liberal-arts, mass-comm or education majors;
  • July 22-23—basic and applied sciences or behavioral and health sciences majors; and
  • July 27-28—open to all colleges' majors.

Undeclared majors are welcome to attend any session of CUSTOMS but must reserve a place on a preferred date.

Sydney L. Warneke, a journalism major, graduated May 7 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. She worked as a practicum student for the Office of News and Media Relations during the spring 2011 semester.


>>Top of Page



Connecting MTSU with the Amazon


A special exhibit of photos chronicling "MTSU's Amazon Connection" to anthropological and sociological research is on display at the Todd Gallery through Friday, May 27.

The Department of Art and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology are hosting the exhibit, "MTSU's Amazon Connection: A Contribution to Seven Decades of Research in the Brazilian Rain Forest," which opened May 9.

Since 1999, MTSU faculty and students have ventured up the Amazon River and into the Amazon rain forest to conduct anthropological and sociological research. Twenty-five students now carry that experience with them, including five who are pursuing their doctorates in anthropology and seven who have completed Master of Arts degrees in anthropology, sociology and public health.

All the students have contributed to seven decades of ongoing social-science research in the rubber tapper community of Gurupá, located on the southern bank of the Amazon River about 500 nautical miles inland from the ocean.

The photographic exhibit documents MTSU's presence in the Amazon as well as changes in the local community since 1948.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Todd Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Dr. Richard Pace at 615- 904-8058 or Eric Snyder at 615 898-5653.



The three photos shown here are included in the Todd Gallery exhibit. The photo above shows a rubber-tapper family living along the Bacá River in Gurupá, Brazil. The image was shot by Pace in 1985.



In the second photo, participants in the 2005 MTSU Ethnographic Field School pause alongside a local boat captain and a local child. From left are students Daniel Hansen, Valerie Nutt, Cynthia Pace, Claire Wilson, Jessica Miraldi and Carrie Adams. This image also was taken by Pace.



The third photo, above, shows a religious procession for St. Benedict, the beloved saint of the Amazon community of Gurupá, captured on film in 1948 by pioneering anthropologist Dr. Charles Wagley. Wagley, who passed away in 1991, was a Columbia University and University of Florida scholar and teacher who specialized in researching Latin American cultures, chiefly the people of the Amazon basin in Brazil.

all photos submitted/courtesy of Dr. Richard Pace


>>Top of Page



Osher scholarships make MTSU unique in Tennessee


MTSU is now the only four-year institution of higher learning in the state to offer reentry scholarships to nontraditional students from the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Nine of the first 11 recipients will receive the full scholarship $5,000 amount for 2011-12, officials said.

The Osher Reentry Scholarship pays tuition for nontraditional students who are beginning or resuming their first undergraduate college degrees.

The Bernard Osher Foundation, located in San Francisco and founded in 1977 by businessman Bernard Osher, provides post-secondary scholarship funding to colleges and universities across the nation with special attention to reentry students.

"MTSU was awarded the grant because of (its) percentage of nontraditional students … and the services that they receive from the University and the Older Wiser Learners student organization," says Dr. Carol Ann Baily, assistant professor of French and faculty adviser to OWLs and Pinnacle, the honors society for nontraditional students.

Each applicant must show a cumulative gap of five or more years in his/her education, demonstrate financial need, show academic promise and a commitment to completing a degree. Applicants also must be planning to work for a significant period of time after graduation.

Fourteen other MTSU students will benefit from scholarships awarded by OWLs for the 2011-12 academic year, including the Academic Service Scholarship, the Challenge Scholarship, the Jane Nickell Taylor Scholarship and the Joan Nickell Bailey Scholarship.

For more information about OWLs, contact Baily at 615-898-5646, cabaily@mtsu.edu or owls@mtsu.edu.


>>Top of Page



Encourage students to apply for 2012-13 Fulbright grants


Applications for the Fulbright U.S. Student Competition for 2012-13 must be submitted before Wednesday, Sept. 7, and MTSU's Undergraduate Fellowships Office is asking all faculty and staff to encourage eligible students to learn more now and apply.

The Fulbright's purpose is increasing mutual understanding between the United States and other countries by exchanging people, knowledge and skills. A Fulbright grant gives a U.S. student the opportunity to live and study in a foreign country for one academic year.

Eligibility requirements include:

  • U.S. citizenship;
  • receipt of a bachelor's degree before August 2012;
  • a grade-point average of 3.3 or higher; and
  • language proficiency sufficient to communicate with the people of the host country.

Candidates who haven't had opportunities for extended study or residence abroad (except military duty or study abroad) will receive preferential consideration. In some countries, preference is given to graduate students conducting research.

Each applicant is usually required to outline a course of study or a research project in his/her major field that may be completed in one country during one academic year abroad.

Full grants under the Fulbright program provide round-trip transportation, a language or orientation course, tuition, books, health and accident insurance, and maintenance for one academic year in one country. Fulbright travel grants provide transportation costs to one of a limited group of countries.

Students may learn more about the program by contacting the UFO at 615-898-5464 or by emailing UFO Coordinator Laura Clippard in the University Honors College at lclippar@mtsu.edu. All applicants should meet with Clippard before beginning their Fulbright applications. For more information, visit www.fulbrightonline.org .


>>Top of Page


Officer training




READY TO ROLL—Second Lt. Rachael Lezon, center left, of Cleveland, Tenn., smiles with pride as her parents, William and Suanna Lezon, pin her officer's bars on her uniform sleeves during MTSU ROTC's spring commissioning ceremony May 6. Lt. Col. T.K. Kast, professor of military science at MTSU, looks on at right. Lezon, one of 20 degree candidates who received their commissions at the MTSU military memorial in front of the Tom Jackson Building, earned her MBA the next day at MTSU's spring 2011 commencement. She will now report to the Army Reserve for duty with the Signal Corps.

MTSU Photographic Services photos by J. Intintoli


>>Top of Page



Junior plays prominent role at campus-Capitol event


MTSU junior Katie Bogle got in a little practice recently in preparation for her role as Speaker of the House when the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature convenes in November.

Bogle, a political science major from Wilson County, participated in the Campus-Capitol Connection on Capitol Hill in Nashville in April, an event where students observe various elements of state government.

"After the opening session, we heard from legislative alumni who talked about their experiences," she said. "That was followed by a lobbyist panel discussion." Bogle served as panel facilitator.

"After lunch there was a mock legislative session, and I was able to present some legislation. Gov. (Bill) Haslam spoke, and he was followed by Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch Jr. And then I introduced (House) Speaker (Beth) Harwell."

Bogle said she's not sure she wants to be a politician, but she does want to work in government on public-policy issues.

The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature will be held Nov. 17-21.


>>Top of Page



18 initiated into MTSU chapter of GIS insurance organization


Eighteen students were added to the Omega Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma Insurance Fraternity's membership during the organization's annual initiation banquet at the Doubletree Hotel in Murfreesboro.

Initiated were Mike Adams, Alexandra Amacher, Rachel Baldwin, Ali Beki, Keith Churn, Kyle Eager, Melissa Giglio-Hunt, Rick Luna, Guangfan Mao, Shermin Noman, Whitney Patterson, Matthew Spears, Danielle Stiscak, Jamie Vance, Travis Williams, Le Yin, Lianlian Zhou and Mengjia Zhou.

Insurance industry professional Janice Hackett, a member of the Insurance Liaison Committee for the annual Martin Chair of Insurance Golf Tournament, spoke to the group, which included alumni, industry representatives, other students and faculty in the program and other guests.

One of the invited guests was Professor Edward Friz, an instructor in the Department of Management and Marketing. He received a plaque as the winner of this year's Outstanding Professor in the College of Business.

Serving as mistress of ceremonies was Rachael Casillas, the Omega Chapter president.


>>Top of Page



Opportunities Around Campus: New electron microscope to enhance research efforts

by Tom Tozer


MTSU has acquired the TESCAN LYRA 3 focused-ion beam-scanning electron microscope, or FIB-SEM, workstation to enhance research across disciplines.

The equipment will be installed by this fall in MTSU's Interdisciplinary Microanalysis and Imaging Center, which is located in Forrest Hall. MIMIC opened in February 2007.

"The reason both TESCAN and MTSU are so excited about this is because MTSU is the first U.S. customer for the FIB-SEM system," said Dr. Ngee-Sing Chong, MTSU chemistry professor and MIMIC director.

"Imagine having a combination drill/milling device that is able to work on structures much smaller than a human hair," explained Dr. Nathanael Smith, MTSU assistant professor of physics and astronomy. "That's what a focused-ion beam instrument can do—and more.

"The LYRA 3 FIB-SEM workstation will not only allow very small structures to be accurately machined, but with specialized, integrated detectors, it can also be used to analyze the structure and chemical composition of a host of sample types, from cross-sections of solar cells to biological specimens."

Smith added that the instrument will have 3-D imaging capabilities to see samples in newer, more powerful ways.

Physics applications for the new equipment could include observing the characterization of solar cells and fabricating "photonic circuits," where light is used in place of electricity. The LYRA 3 FIB-SEM also can be used to develop nanomaterials for chemical analysis and catalytic acceleration of chemical reactions. Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale.

The new equipment will enhance MIMIC as a training and research facility at MTSU, Chong noted.

"The microscopy instrumentation at MIMIC is accessible for research by all MTSU faculty and students," he pointed out. "Primary users of the equipment come from biology, chemistry, physics, engineering technology, geology and anthropology. The facilities are also available for fee-based usage by microscopists from industries in the middle Tennessee region."

Established in 1991 and headquartered in the Czech Republic, TESCAN is an ISO-certified company and a leading provider of scientific instrumentation.

"LYRA ... is ideal for multiuser environments such as MIMIC," said Jeff Streger, vice president of sales and marketing at TESCAN USA Inc., located in Cranberry Township, Pa. "We are very excited to have MTSU as a customer."



>>Top of Page



Faculty/Staff Update


Media

Dr. Sean Foley (history) was interviewed on al-Jazeera's English-language network on March 22 about the violent opposition to the government in Yemen. That interview is available on YouTube by clicking here.

Dr. Warren Gill (agribusiness/ agriscience) and Tim Redd (MTSU Farm Lab) discussed the MTSU farm and the new dairy under construction on "The Truman Show" May 11 on WGNS Radio (1450 AM).

Dr. Carter F. Smith (criminal justice) appeared on "Inside Politics" on NewsChannel5+ May 6 to discuss terrorism. He also spoke on gang violence and MTSU's second annual Ethnic Gangs Organized Crime Symposium on the May 3 edition of NC5+'s "Openline" with Dr. Jeffrey Rush of Austin Peay State University.

Panels

Professor Jennifer Vannatta-Hall (music education) recently served on the Tennessee Arts Commission's Fiscal Year 2012 Peer Advisory Panel in Nashville. Panelists meet once a year to offer advice on program planning and to review grant applications. They also serve as year-round resources to the Arts Commission staff as advocates for the arts in their communities.

Publications

Dr. William F. Ford (Weatherford Chair of Finance) published an article, "The Fed's Accounting Raises Red Flags," in the April 18 edition of the American Institute for Economic Research's Research Reports.

Christy Groves and William Black (Walker Library) are authors of a book chapter, "Understanding Gen X at Work: Securing the Library's Future," in the new book The Generation X Librarian: Essays on Leadership, Technology, Pop Culture, Social Responsibility and Professional Identity (McFarland and Company, April 2011).

An essay by Dr. Mark Allan Jackson (English), "Playing Legend Maker: Woody Guthrie's 'Jackhammer John,'" is included in a new edited collection, The Life, Music and Thought of Woody Guthrie: A Critical Appraisal (Ashgate Press, 2011).

Dr. Jeffrey Walck (biology) published a review paper, "Climate change and plant regeneration from seeds" with colleagues from Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany in G lobal Change Biology, a top-ranked journal in climate studies.

Dr. Debra Rose Wilson and Brandi Lindsey (nursing) reviewed On Duty: Power, Politics and the History of Nursing in New Jersey by Frances Ward for the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 22(2), 704-705.

Special Note of Thanks

"I wish to express my gratitude to the MTSU community for the many cards, messages and calls of sympathy and support concerning my brother's death and my rescue in Utah in March. Special thanks go to Tom Tozer, director of the Office of News and Media Relations, and Andrew Oppmann, associate vice president and spokesman, for their assistance with media inquiries." — Dr. David Cicotello, associate vice provost, Admissions and Enrollment Services.

Get noticed in The Record!

Submit Faculty/Staff Update items to gfann@mtsu.edu by 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, for the June 6 edition of The Record. Deadline for the final print edition of The Record, June 20, is 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 8. Thanks!


>>Top of Page



Campus Calendar: May 23-June 5, 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 .

Campus Recreation Summer Hours
Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 2-8 p.m.
For information, visit /camprec/hours.php .

Through May 27
Photo Exhibit: "MTSU's Amazon Connection: A Contribution to Seven Decades of Research in the Brazilian Rain Forest"
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Todd Gallery
For information, contact: 615-904-8058 or 898-5653.

Tuesday, May 24
"Cemetery Community Public Workshop"
sponsored by MTSU Public History Program, Bradley Academy Museum and Stones River National Battlefield
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Bradley Academy Museum
No admission charge
For information, contact: 615-975-0573.

May 25-26
CUSTOMS Orientation
All scholarship students
7:30 a.m., campuswide
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/customs or contact: 615-898-2454.

May 28-29
Volunteer Ranch Horse Show
Tennessee Miller Coliseum
For information, visit http://vrha.digitalcowgirls.com .

Monday, May 30
Memorial Day Holiday
No classes; university closed.

June 1-3
MT Women's Basketball: Lil' Raider Camp
for girls in kindergarten through eighth grades
8 a.m.-noon, Murphy Center
Cost: $150 per camper ($110 employee rate)
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-5207.

June 2-3
CUSTOMS Orientation
Business, liberal arts, mass comm, education and undeclared majors
7:30 a.m., campuswide
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/customs or contact: 615-898-2454.

Friday, June 3
Summer May Term Final Exams

Saturday, June 4
Summer May Term Saturday-Class Final Exams


Get noticed in The Record !

Submit Campus Calendar items and other news to gfann@mtsu.edu by 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, for the June 6 edition of The Record. Deadline to submit items for the final print edition of The Record, June 20, is 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 8.


>>Top of Page