Marva Lucas
Interim Director - Academic Enrichment and Dept. of Mathmatical Sciences

Hi, I'm Dr. Marva S. Lucas and I'm one! I'm one of Tennessee's Best at Middle Tennessee State University.

Currently, I'm the interim director of Academic Enrichment and also a member of the faculty in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. In my role, I'm responsible for the testing and placement of incoming students. I also direct the University Seminar program for first-year and transfer students and I teach mathematics courses.

1993. Originally, I came to MTSU as a graduate student and worked as a graduate teaching assistant while earning a master's degree in mathematics. I love teaching and I love learning. MTSU is the perfect environment to do both. In my presentposition, I have the opportunity to positively impact students who come here to pursue their goals and the teachers that assist them.

Part of my role as an MTSU faculty member is to attend graduation exercises. I always enjoy seeing students I've worked with at the start of their academic careers walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. I get even more excited watching a student, who I know had an academic or personal struggle along the way, receive his or her diploma. They've persisted and achieved the goals they set out to accomplish.

Whether it is in my role as director or my role as professor, I always strive to assist the student in remaining focused on achieving his or her goals. I encourage each student to never give up until all resources are exhausted. But at the same time, I remind the student that MTSU is abounding in resources dedicated to his or her success. Our success as an institution is tied to each student's individual successes. The highlight of my career at MTSU was my selection to serve as a Maxine Smith Fellow. This opportunity allowed me to view higher education in the state of Tennessee from multiple levels.

If you are considering employment at MTSU, I can give you more than 23,000 good reasons to become a member of our family—the students that we serve. I can also tell you that as a member of the faculty or staff, you truly become a family member. In my varied experiences at MTSU, I've truly been impressed with the family-like atmosphere in my department. Instead of treating one another like fellow employees, we've been able to welcome and mentor new members of the staff, as well as support each other's professional growth.

However, there are many interesting groups in which students, faculty members, and staff can join and become active participants. As a result of the connection to these organizations, the campus feels smaller, and individuals have an opportunity to positively contribute to the University community. In the state of Tennessee, MTSU has the largest undergraduate population. In addition to its ideal location in the middle of the state, MTSU effectively offers key programs of study that make it highly attractive and competitive.

Murfreesboro itself is growing in leaps and bounds. However, it remains an ideal place for rearing children and for being close (but not too close) to several other larger cities like Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta, and Memphis.

We really do have it all here at Middle Tennessee State University. Come join us and be one of Tennessee's Best.