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Banquet to honor Neill-Sandler
scholars
Event scheduled April 28
by Randy Weiler
Ten Middle Tennessee high school seniors who have overcome obstacles to
be achievers in life will be honored for their perseverance April 28 during
the sixth annual Neill-Sandler Strive for Excellence Banquet at MTSU.
The invitation-only event will start at 6 p.m. in the James Union Building’s
Tennessee Room.
The 10 students, who have been nominated by their schools and school systems,
have rebounded from tough times in their young lives. In spite of their
special situations, they have performed well in the classroom and on their
college entrance examinations and exhibited leadership skills inside and
outside of school. Some have worked to provide for themselves and family
members.
Scholarships provided through the Neill-Sandler Foundation and The Danner
Company, a Nashville-based business led by Chairman Ray Danner, will go
to students from the following school systems: Bedford, Cannon, Coffee,
DeKalb, Franklin, Rutherford, Tullahoma City Schools, Warren, Williamson
and Wilson.
“This is such a unique scholarship program,” said Joe Bales,
vice president, development and university relations.“You have scholarships
that are financially need driven, and those scholarships serve an important
part of the college population. You have scholarships that recognize academic
merit and excellence in the classroom.
“This scholarship goes beyond both of those. It looks at students
who have the potential to have academic success but, due to unforeseen
or unexpected hardships, might not have been able to attend college.”
This year’s recipients will include: James Ellis Nipper III of Cannon
County High School in Woodbury; Dustin Adam Watkins of Coffee County High
School in Manchester; Jeffrey Paul Crips of DeKalb County High School
in Smithville; Brandon Phillips of Brentwood High School; Jacqueline Renee
Pool of Warren County High School in McMinnville; Michael Benjamin Beecham
of Shelbyville Central High School; Marla F. Miller of Wilson Central
High School near Lebanon; Trevor Chase Askins of Tullahoma High School;
Jamiya Nicole Elliott of Franklin County High School in Winchester; and
Courtney Elizabeth Watson of La Vergne High School. One recipient will
receive the Ray Danner Scholarship, totaling $10,000. Another will receive
the Elizabeth and Sidney A. McPhee Scholarship, totaling $7,500. The other
eight winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship.
Bales praised Gary Neill of Knoxville and Mike Sandler of Murfreesboro
for establishing the scholarship program in 1999 along with Randy Morton
of the Neill-Sandler Foundation. Since then, 57 students have received
scholarship aid. Sandler is expected to be master of ceremonies.
For information about the program, call 615-898-2111 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~admissn/.
O’More, MTSU seek articulation
agreement now
by Doug Williams
MTSU and O’More College of Design have agreed to seek a formal articulation
agreement as discussions between the two institutions continue.
“For the past several months, O’More and MTSU have been exploring
how our two institutions could develop mutually beneficial opportunities.
After careful consideration, it has been decided that a formal articulation
agreement is possible and should be pursued,” said MTSU President
Sidney A. McPhee.
“Agreements such as this involve a significant level of complex issues
including accreditation, logistics, methodology and curriculum. In order
to accomplish the objective of a formal articulation of academic programs,
we have agreed to continue pursuing the implementation of such a program.
This is the critical first step in solidifying our relationship, and until
this is accomplished and proven successful, no further steps will be taken.”
Both schools will continue efforts to build a strong partnership that
will benefit the students that each one serves.
Citing the importance of educational philosophy and commitment to the
prestigious history of the college, O’More President K. Mark Hilliard
explains the college’s decision to explore the potential for a formal
articulation agreement with MTSU.
“We have a wonderful relationship with MTSU and wish to continue
to strengthen that relationship, but feel that at this time, a merger
might alter the uniqueness of our educational philosophy,” Hilliard
said.
“Over the past several months, O’More has continued to share
our discussions with MTSU, with our students, faculty and staff. From
direct input from our students, faculty and staff, we have determined
that at this time, an articulation agreement would best meet our objectives
as a nonprofit art and design institution.”
Dr. Charles Manning, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, presented
a progress report on the agreement between the two institutions at the
TBR quarterly meeting on April 2. The report stated that the institutions
wished to continue discussions to strengthen programs at both schools
but would not see an actual merger of the institutions at this time.
O’More College of Design is a private, four-year institution of higher
education. The college opened in 1970 as an interior design school in
Franklin.
The school currently enrolls about 150 students. All but two members of
the O’More management team have graduate degrees from MTSU.
MTSU’s College of Design enrolls about 724 students.
AL GORE TO DELIVER LECTURE APRIL 19 IN STATE FARM
ROOM
Former Vice President Al Gore will deliver the next Seigenthaler Lecture
at 6 p.m. April 19 in the BAS State Farm Room.
The lecture, “Civic Engagement and the Environment: Role of the Media,”
is free and open to the public. For information, contact: Dr. David Eason
at 615-898-5873 or Sharon Fitzgerald at 615-890-8578.
LEARNING INITIATIVE OF SACS PROCESS UNVEILED APRIL 22
The Quality Enhancement Plan phase of the Southern Association of Schools
and Colleges’ reaffirmation process has emerged as an “experiential
learning” project at MTSU as determined by the work of the QEP committee
and the results of a campuswide survey.
The project will be unveiled April 22 during a reception in the Alumni
Center from 3 to 5 p.m. A brief formal program will begin at 3:30 p.m.
It will be open to faculty, staff and administrators. Students have been
working on promotional materials for the project and will display the
materials. People will vote for their favorite campaign, and the student
whose idea is selected will receive an award. The student’s work
will become the foundation for providing and maintaining awareness of
the two-year project.
MASS COMMUNICATION PLANS ITS AWARDS CEREMONY MAY 4
The College of Mass Communication has scheduled its award ceremony for
scholarship/ award recipients.
The ceremony will be held 3-4:30 p.m. May 4 in the East Main Street area
of the Bragg Mass Communication Building.
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CHAMPS—From left, Aaron Dudley, senior and
team captain; James Barker, senior; alumnus Travis Martin; and Amy
Black, senior, from ETIS work with their remote-operated vehicle,
the “Moon Raider” robot, outside the VIS building.
photo by J. Intintoli |
ETIS wins first in robotics
by Randy Weiler
MTSU’s Department of Engineering Technology
and Industrial Studies recently added a national championship in robotics
to its mantle of achievements.
Known for its Moonbuggies, concrete industry program, Formula 1 car and
solar bikes, ETIS had a student team capture first place in the 2004 International
Conference on Earth and Space March 7-10 in Houston.
MTSU defeated the other two finalists, the University of Illinois and
Prairie View A&M, for the championship.
“They perfected the robotics system to the extent that NASA may change
the requirements next time,”said Dr. Ahad Nasab, professor, ETIS.
“They have been waiting for a group to take it to a higher level.
NASA will add something to the competition (requirements) next year and
make it more challenging.”
Five students—seniors Aaron Dudley and Amy Black and sophomore Seth
Holland of Murfreesboro, senior James Barker of Elizabethton and alumnus
Travis Martin of Murfreesboro—were recognized April 2 in the Voorhies
Industrial Studies building for their roles in leading the team to the
national crown.
Barker, who is an aerospace major, was the lone non-ETIS major on the
team.
“We gained so much knowledge,” he said. “It was a challenge,
working through the problem solving. We accomplished our goal.”
“It was a whole lot harder than I expected,” Dudley, the team
captain, said. “The competition was great. We found out we had a
lot more creativity than we thought we had.”
Black said the group’s greatest accomplishment may not have been
the Flouor Daniel Perpetual Trophy for Collegiate Competition in Extraterrestrial
Robotics that it brought back to Murfreesboro.
“We learned the value of teamwork,” Black said. “There
were a lot of different opinions. ... We figured out how to accomplish
it. At the competition, we had all kinds of serious problems the first
day. We only had four hours to fix it. We were without a machine shop.
We were in a hotel.”
Martin, who is married and the father of two children, completed the original
design in March 2002.
“They (current students) just modified it and made improvements to
the electronics and air system. Technology today is just booming."
Nasab said the event, which is co-sponsored by NASA and the Earth and
Science conference, is designed to mimic conditions NASA might encounter
while trying to create a long-term presence on the moon.
The MTSU students built a second, smaller robot with a camera to aid the
steering and driving of the larger robot, and this element led to them
finishing first, Nasab said.
Daniel Pfeifer is the 2003-04 president of
the MTSU Faculty Senate and an associate professor of recording industry.
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Tenure, promotion policies explained
With the start of the fall 2004 semester, MTSU will
find itself in the midst of a lot of changes. These changes include the
transition to 120-hour degree programs, a new general education curriculum,
the TBR Common Calendar and subsequent revised class schedule, the lottery
scholarships and more.
Along with these changes, revisions to the TBR policies regarding Tenure,
Promotion, Faculty Appointments, and Academic Freedom and Responsibility
recently were approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents and will be implemented
this fall. This article will discuss these revisions and what MTSU is
doing to prepare.
A BRIEF HISTORY: Over the last two years, a TBR task
force has been working to revise the TBR tenure and promotion policies
with the intention of reducing the number of exceptions being requested.
Dr. Kathy Mathis, MTSU's TBR Academic Subcouncil representative, was appointed
to the task force. The first drafts of these revisions were sent to TBR
institutions for review and comment in spring 2003. At that time, MTSU
Provost Kaylene Gebert appointed an ad hoc committee to advise Mathis
and to revise the MTSU policies once final drafts were available.
During fall 2003, revised drafts were sent to campuses for further review
and additional comment. The Faculty Senate also sponsored an open forum
with Dr. Kay Clark, TBR associate vice chancellor for academic affairs,
to provide an opportunity for faculty to express their views of the revisions.
Late in the fall semester, another revision was sent to campuses for a
final round of feedback.
In February, a final set of draft revisions was sent. The TBR President’s
Council then reviewed the documents and voted to change the language regarding
the probationary period for tenure-track faculty. With the inclusion of
the language provided by the council, these drafts were edited for formatting,
spelling and grammar. The edited versions were on the agenda at the meeting
of the full TBR earlier this month and were approved. With that approval,
the revised policies will be implemented this fall.
SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: This section is a brief summary of the major changes
in Tenure, Promotion, Academic Freedom and Responsibility, and Faculty
Appointments policies for TBR universities. Please note that this section
will summarize only the major changes and shouldn’t be considered
comprehensive.
Academic Freedom and Responsibility:
This document was originally part of the Tenure guidelines. It was removed
and made into a stand alone policy.
• No substantial changes from the previous policy other than separation.
Faculty Appointments:
This document was originally part of the Tenure guidelines. It was removed
and made into a stand alone policy.
• The appointments were re-drafted to include a revised classification
for nontenure-track clinical professors with promotional opportunities
to allow disciplines other than health and law to hire practice-oriented
faculty (The School of Nursing will implement clinic-track appointments
in fall 2004).
• The appointments were re-drafted to include a revised classification
for non-tenure-track research professors with promotional opportunities.
• The appointments were re-drafted to include a new faculty classification
for coordinators for faculty with combined responsibility for teaching
and academic administration (e.g., student advising).
Tenure:
• There are now separate tenure policies for universities and community
colleges. The same policy was used for both types of institutions in the
past.
• Term appointments were removed from the language since term appointments
are specific to the community colleges.
• Probationary Periods. The language was changed to establish six
years as the normal probationary period.
• Faculty may apply for tenure in their fifth year (added by President’s
Council).
• Credit toward completion of the probationary period may at the
discretion of the president be given for a maximum of three years of previous
full-time service at other colleges, universities or institutes provided
that the prior service is relevant to the institution’s own needs
and criteria.
The revised guidelines allow opportunities to take leaves of absence.
Leaves of absence can be used when the university agrees to maintain the
faculty member's position while he/she is away for a specified period
of time.
• The revised guidelines allow opportunities to “stop the tenure
clock.” “Stop the clock” opportunities can be exercised
when the candidate continues to come to work but encounters health, personal
or other problems that interfere with his/her career development.
• Criteria for Tenure was added to provide some basis for decision-making
in teaching, research/scholarship/creative activities, and service/outreach.
• The TBR is assigned the responsibility for determining which degrees
are terminal for specific disciplines. Its analysis is to be based upon
national standards.
Promotion:
• There are now separate promotion policies for universities and
community colleges. The same policy was used for both types of institutions
in the past.
• The section that addresses criteria that differentiates the academic
ranks from one another was clarified to remove redundancies and expectations
in teaching, research/scholarship/creative activities, and service/outreach
were further defined.
• “Exceptions to Minimum Rank Qualifications.” This section
was previously found in the “Evaluation Process” but was included
in a new section to make it easier to find. The passage still requires
the universities to carefully evaluate its faculty for extraordinary merit
before reducing minimal qualifications.
• The TBR is assigned the responsibility for determining which degrees
are terminal for specific disciplines. As with the Tenure policy, its
analysis is to be based upon national standards. Proposed Phase-In of
Revised Policies:
• The revised tenure and promotion policies adopted earlier this
month will become effective July 1, 2004, for all faculty whose employment
began on or after that date.
• Faculty members appointed prior to July 1, 2004, may elect to be
considered under the current tenure and promotion policies or under the
revised policies for a four-year, phase-in period.
• The revised policies on promotion and tenure will be applicable
to all promotion or tenure actions taken on or subsequent to July 1, 2008,
for faculty whose employment began prior to July 1, 2004.
FUTURE ACTIVITIES: Starting in fall 2004, colleges and departments will
be charged with the development and/or revision of their tenure and promotion
policies. The completed college and departmental policies are to be in
alignment with the approved TBR and MTSU policies.
As work progresses, announcements will be made in an effort to keep you
informed. I hope this article helps you understand the policy revisions.
Celebration of Excellence
McPhee creates awards event
by Randy Weiler
The inaugural President’s Celebration of Excellence will bestow 18
awards to 20 people from a cross-section of divisions and organizations,
an event official said.
The awards luncheon will be at noon April 24 in the JUB’s Tennessee
Room. Awards will include:
•Alumni Relations Distinguished Alumni (2003-04 recipients Gary Brown,
Robert W. “Bob” McLean and Dr. David A. Singer Jr.) and Young
Alumni Achievement Award winner (Meredith Anne Simmons Higgs for 2003-04);
• Student Government Association’s John Bragg Award to an alumnus
and Bob Womack Award to a faculty member;
• MTSU Foundation’s President’s, Provost’s, Achievement
and Outstanding Community Service awards;
• Tennessee Board of Regents Award for Academic Excellence (presented
to Dr. Bill Ford, chair, Weatherford Chair of Finance during the December
2003 TBR meeting), Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Philanthropy,
which will recognize four recipients;
• President’s Legacy Award;
• University Benefactor Award;
• Outstanding Blue Raider Award;
• Outstanding Student-Athlete Award.
“This will provide a signature event for the campus where we will
recognize the exceptional contributions of our students, faculty, alumni
and friends,” said Joe Bales, vice president, development and university
relations, and chair of the planning committee. “President (Sidney
A.) McPhee wanted to create this. It is something he feels strongly about,
and I do, too.”
Each MTSU college has its own awards ceremony, said Bales, adding, “but
we have never tried to bring anything that encompasses the entire university
community together at one time. The current students can look and see
what the alumni have achieved. ... Alumni can see how we recognize the
dedication and contributions of faculty in front of their current and
former students.”
Call 615-898-5818 for information.
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DEAN HOSTS ALUMNI—
Dr. Anantha Babbili, dean, College of Mass Communication, right,
visits with Michael Stafford, a 1977 advertising graduate who is
co-owner/vice president of Lewis-Stafford Co. The company serves
as a publisher representative in the magazine advertising industry.
The dean held a dinner for mass communication alumni living in the
Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
photo submitted by
J. Steven Barnes
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DUNN RECEIVES AWARD— Dr. Jim Burton,
business dean, right, presents former Gov. Winfield Dunn with the
Joe M. Rodgers Spirit of America Award recently during the Executives-in-Residence
program, sponsored by the Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in
Free Enterprise. The award is given to a businessperson who has made
significant contributions in government, education and/or civic and
charitable organizations.
photo by Ken Robinson |
Secretaries, clerical staff honored
April 21 administrative professionals lunch
to benefit Relay for Life
by Randy Weiler
The Administrative Professionals Day luncheon April 21 at Outback Steakhouse
will be another sellout and success, said an event organizer.
“We have seating for 288 people. We expect to sell all the tickets,”
MTSU Administrative Services Relay for Life team member Kathy Kano said
recently.
At Outback, 1968 Old Fort Parkway, there will be a seating at 11:30 a.m.
for 144 people and another seating at 12:30 p.m. for the other 144 people,
Kano said.
Tickets are $10 per person.
“The reason we choose that day (April 21) is because it is Administrative
Professionals Day,” said Kano, executive aide, student affairs. ”It’s
a good way for people to honor their secretaries and clerical workers
and also to donate to the American Cancer Society.”
Much of the proceeds go to the administrative services team’s fund-raising
effort in the Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“R.J. Luna, the manager of Outback, donates as much as he can donate,”
Kano said. “We pay for the servers. They donate the food.”
Last year’s effort raised $2,110, and the team, through various fund-raising
events, surpassed its goal with $12,116 for the year.
The 2004 Relay for Life will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. June 12 at the
Veterans Affairs Hospital picnic pavilion and not at MTSU, Kano said.
The event will start with the survivor walk at 5 p.m., followed by a walk
by cancer survivors with their care takers and then a team members’
walk, Kano said.
At 7 p.m., the Miss Hairy Network contest will be held. It will be based
on this year’s theme: “Prime Time for a Cure.” At 8:45
p.m., there will be the lighting of luminaries. Kano said to call Lori
Frenzl at 615-867-8014 for luminary information.
Having a mother, Jean Lonsway, and sister, Linda Szempruch, both of Springfield,
Ohio, affected by cancer is Kano’s way “to show support for
them,” she said.
For relay information, call Brenda Wunder at 615-904-8240.
Equestrian team records spring
success
by Randy Weiler
Coach Anne Brzezicki has different adjectives—”phenomenal”
and “amazing”—to describe the early spring success of the
MTSU equestrian team.
“We have had a phenomenal spring,” the veteran coach said recently.
“It was amazing because of the combination of very successful service
projects we’ve done, plus the competition has been extra tough.”
Ten riders advanced from the Region 1 to Zone 5, which was held April
3-4 at Berry College in Rome, Ga., Brzezicki said.
In the zone, MTSU’s Western team advanced to the May 6-9 Intercollegiate
Horse Show Association National Championship that will be held in the
Tennessee Miller Coliseum on West Thompson Lane. MTSU was reserve champion,
finishing second (with 34 points) to Berry College (36). The University
of Florida (26) finished third.
Rusty Rea of Prospect, Ky., sisters Lydia and Theresa Whitlow of New Market,
Lori Puckett of Cookeville, Amanda Craddock of La Vergne, Diedre Stamper
of Kingsport and Danielle Nadeau of Murfreesboro earned berths in the
nationals with the Western team.
Rea, a junior transfer from the University of Louisville, was Individual
Open Reserve Champion (second place in the competition) and Reserve Champion
in Reining in Zone 5. He was regional champion in Open Western and Reserve
Champion in Reining, said Brzezicki, who added that he was regional High
Point Rider in Western.
In the zone competition, senior Lydia Whitlow was Individual Advanced
Reserve Champion; freshman Theresa Whitlow was Champion Advanced; Puckett,
a sophomore, was Reserve Champion Novice; Craddock, a senior, was Champion
Intermediate; Stamper, a sophomore, was Reserve Champion Beginner; and
Nadeau, a junior, was Reserve Champion Intermediate.
Only junior Racheal Hunt (Intermediate Fences) of Middletown, N.Y., and
senior Dionne Stigge of Murfreesboro advanced from the Hunter Seat division
to nationals, Brzezicki said. Stigge made it by virtue of being High Point
Rider in Region 1.
“We had some sick kids who did not ride well,” she said.
In the Zone 5 alumni division, Murfreesboro’s Allison Brannon (B.S.
’02) was Reserve Champion.
MTSU had six regional champions, five reserve champions and other notable
achievements, Brzezicki said. The achievements were regional champion
Western team; Rea’s High Point Western Rider; reserve champion Western
team; Stigge’s High Point Hunter Seat Rider crown and Senior of the
Year award; Jaclyn Cradduck, sophomore from Christiana, reserve High Point
Hunter Seat Rider; and Lydia Whitlow, Versatility Award.
Accounting alumni day planned
May 13
by Tom Tozer
The 13th annual MTSU Accounting Alumni Appreciation Day will be held 8
a.m.-4:45 p.m. May 13 in the BAS State Farm Lecture Hall (Room S102).
The seminar is open to those interested in accounting, auditing, taxation
and computer training. Participants will earn eight hours of Continuing
Professional Education. Non-MTSU alumni also are invited.
This year’s featured speakers will be Marilyn Weimer and Charles
Landes.
Weimer is special counsel to Daniel Goelzer, who is a member of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board.
Landes is director of the AICPA Audit and Attest Standards Team.
Additional presentations will be given by Department of Accounting faculty
members, including Dr. Jeannie Harrington, Dr. Tim Koski, Dr. G. Robert
Smith Jr., Dr. Paula Thomas, Pat Wall and Lara Womack.
Concurrent computer sessions also will be held, but seating will be limited.
Participants should register as soon as possible.
The cost will be $75 each to alumni; $100 to non-alumni; and $50 to MTSU
employees. Proceeds will be used for accounting scholarships.
Brochures were sent to accounting alumni earlier this month.
For information, go to www.mtsu.edu/~actgdept/ or call 615-898-2558.
Department accredited, advisory
board remains
An ad hoc advisory board for the Department of Accounting in the Jennings
A. Jones College of Business was formed a few years ago as the department
sought separate AACSB accreditation. Earlier this month, it was official.
The department received full accreditation, and the board will remain
in place as a permanent pool of expertise for the department.
“The board is a fabulous group of people,”said Dr. Paula Thomas,
accounting chair. “When the accreditation team came here, they were
amazed at the people we have.”
Recently, board members took an important step by appointing Percy E.
Dempsey III as chairman. Dempsey is founder of Dempsey Vantrease &
Follis, PLLC, in Murfreesboro, a company that has served the community
for more than 25 years. His areas of expertise include negotiating the
sale and acquisition of businesses, business contracts and financing applications
to financial institutions and third parties.
Over the last year, the board has expanded its membership, created a mission
statement and established bylaws, Thomas said. They also have created
staggered terms so that people wouldn't be serving indefinitely.
“We also want people who are fresh out of school,” she said.
“Right now, we primarily have people who are the heads of their organizations.
We are looking to get a better cross-section.
“These people are a very valuable resource for us,” Thomas said.
“We have added someone from state government because we send a lot
of students there. We are talking to two people whom we think may represent
under-represented employers in our area.”
Board members will look at curriculum issues, help with fund-raising,
help with student and faculty recruitment and career planning and placement,
technology issues, faculty interaction and re-accreditation efforts, Thomas
said.
Board members are primarily from Rutherford and Davidson counties. One
member is from Shelbyville. In addition to Thomas (ex officio) and Dempsey,
they are Dennis Dycus, Division of Municipal Audit; Tommy Francis, Kraft
CPAs; Joel Jobe, Jobe, Hastings & Associates CPAs; Burt Landers, Winnett
Associates, PLLC; Heather Lawson; Bill Mooningham, Ernst & Young LLP;
Larry Morton, Crowe Chizek and Co. LLC; Lisa Nix, Deloitte & Touche
LLP; Jeff Smith, National HealthCare L.P.; Sutton & Co., PLLC; Brian
Tate, Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, P.C.; and Sammy Walters, Premier
Manufacturing, Inc.
Seivers |
Seivers to address graduates
Education commissioner,
MTSU alumna to speak May 15 at MTSU
by Doug Williams
Lana C. Seivers, Tennessee commissioner of education and MTSU alumna,
will deliver the 2004 spring commencement address to a record number of
graduates at 10 a.m. May 15 in Murphy Center.
Nearly 1,600 graduates will hear Seivers discuss her thoughts on education,
the opportunities and obligations it presents, and her deep feelings for
MTSU. Seivers is a veteran educator who specialized in elementary and
special education and is a 1972 graduate of MTSU.
Seivers, like many graduates from MTSU during the past 40 years, was the
first in her family to graduate from college. She said she remembers her
parents and grandparents being in the audience and their shared sense
of family accomplishment with her that day.
“This opportunity to speak at MTSU’s commencement brings back
so many memories,” Seivers said recently. “My time there remains
one of the brightest times of my life. It is humbling for me to come back
to speak at this event, and it is one of the biggest honors I’ve
ever had.”
Appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen in January 2003, Seivers brings a broad
perspective to her role as commissioner.
A Clinton native, Seivers has served as a teacher, principal and superintendent
during her 32 years in education. Early in her career, she worked in the
Oak Ridge School system where she specialized in elementary and special
education and later served as principal of Linden Elementary School.
Prior to her appointment as commissioner, she was superintendent of Clinton
City Schools. During her tenure there, she was one of two superintendents
who served as a design consultant for the Institute for School Leaders,
a project coordinated by the state of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University
and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Seivers was appointed by Govs. Ned McWherter and Don Sundquist to serve
on an advisory council for the education of children with disabilities.
She is a past chair of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Tennessee Committee for Elementary and Middle Schools. In addition, she
is a member of the Jobs Cabinet and the Children’s Cabinet convened
by Bredesen.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from MTSU, a master’s
degree in educational administration and a doctorate in educational leadership
from the University of Tennessee.
As commissioner, Seivers is an ex officio member of the Tennessee Board
of Regents and the UT Board of Trustees. She also is a member of the MTSU
National Alumni Board.
Berkeley researcher to receive
Golden Goggles Award
by Randy Weiler
Much honored University of California-Berkeley chemistry faculty member
and researcher Alex Pines will be the recipient of the annual Golden Goggles
Award, a MTSU chemistry department representative said recently.
Pines, the Glenn T. Seaborg Professor of Chemistry at Cal-Berkeley and
senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will be
presented the award during his lecture that will begin at 7 p.m. April
27 in Wiser-Patton Science Hall Room 102.
“I am surprised and delighted to have been selected for the distinction
of the Golden Goggles Award at MTSU,” Pines wrote in an e-mail reply
to his appearance. “Research and teaching both feature prominently
among my academic priorities, and it is a privilege indeed that my colleagues
at MTSU have seen fit to bestow upon me a symbol of recognition of these
efforts.”
In November 2002, Pines and Cal-Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley lab colleague
John Clarke were named to the first Scientific American 50 list of visionaries
in their field.
Both were named for their recent innovations in magnetic resonance imaging
and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in ultralow magnetic fields,
a Lawrence Berkeley lab news release said.
Their technology combines superconducting quantum interference devices
that allow room temperature access, coupled with modern developments in
NMR pulse sequences and switched magnetic fields, the release said. This
opens the possibility for mobile diagnostic scanning devices in materials
and biomedicine without the need for huge superconducting magnets, it
said.
Pines has pioneered such NMR developments as novel coherence methodologies,
in particular for solid samples, and innovations in combining NMR spectroscopy
and imaging, using ultrasensitive pumping with lasers and detection techniques
using superconducting devices, the release said.
He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a foreign member of
the Royal Society of London and past president of the International Society
of Magnetic Resonance.
He received the 1991 Wolf Prize in chemistry, the American Chemical Society’s
Irving Langmuir Award in chemical physical and the University of California’s
Distinguished Teaching Award. For information about Golden Goggles, contact
Dr. Andrienne Friedli (afriedli@mtsu.edu), associate professor, chemistry,
at 615-898-2071.
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TEMPORARY BREAKS FROM CLASSES—MTSU
senior and CIS major Chris Brackett, above, studies for a test on
his computer in the Business-Aerospace Building lounge. Below, MTSU
freshman Angela Ray takes a nap during a break between her classes
in the lobby of the James Union Building.
photos by J. Intintoli |
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National aerospace championship
comes to Rutherford County
by Randy Weiler
MTSU, its aerospace department and Rutherford County will have the rare
privilege of being host to the SAFECON 2004 intercollegiate national championship.
The National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation
Conference competition will include 31 teams from across the United States
and will be held April 28-May 1 at Smyrna Airport, said Dr. Paul Craig,
chairman, aerospace.
Teams and airplanes will arrive as early as April 24 when briefings, registration,
landing practice, various signups and practices will be held until April
27, according to a SAFECON Web site for the event.
“This is sort of like (basketball’s) March Madness, only from
an aerospace perspective,” Craig said. “It will be like the
Sweet 16. You will have had to have won or placed in one of 10 region
events to make the national tournament.”
“The national collegiate flying competition is a great event,”
added Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences. “We
are pleased to be hosting the event at the Smyrna Airport. It will bring
a lot of excitement to Smyrna Airport.”
Opening ceremonies will be held in Tucker Theatre at 6 p.m. April 27,
Craig said.
“It’s quite an honor (to be hosting the event),” Craig
said, mentioning that the university was serving as host for the first
time “in decades. We had to bid for this. We had to show what the
area provided in aspects like airplane parking, hotels and transportation.”
“All kinds of vendors—people coming to show new products—will
be at the site,” Craig added. “It will be a world’s fair
of goods and services.”
The event has a number of sponsors including Rutherford County, Smyrna
Airport and various aviation-related airlines and companies. It will feature
competition in events such as navigation, ground trainer, short field
landing and preflight aircraft. Also, there will be interviews of competitors
in regard to safety, achievement and those vying for the Loening Trophy.
Craig said MTSU, which has “a good team with good kids who are solid
and grounded” in aerospace and aviation knowledge and training, will
be up against stiff competition.
An aircraft recognition event will be held at 7 p.m. April 27 in the BAS
State Farm Lecture Hall. An industry reception will be held at 7 p.m.
April 29 at the DoubleTree Hotel. The awards banquet will start at 7 p.m.
May 1 in Murphy Center. Gerald “Jerry” Hill, associate professor,
aerospace, is event coordinator. For event information , call 615-898-2788.
Historic sites designated
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Two students’
work leads to successful nominations |
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NATIONAL REGISTER LISTINGS—A
site in Franklin, above, and another one in Mount Pleasant,
left, are now on the National Register of Historic Places as
a result of work by two MTSU graduate research assistants at
MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation.
photos from Center for Historic Preservation |
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by Lisa L. Rollins
Through the hard work and research of MTSU students Laura Stewart and
Jessica Davis, Tennessee recently gained two significant entries on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Stewart and Davis, both graduate research assistants at MTSU’s Center
for Historic Preservation (CHP), worked under the supervision of Dr. Carroll
Van West, CHP director, and Caneta Hankins, CHP project coordinator, to
properly prepare the now-successful nominations of the Natchez Street
Historic District and the Mount Pleasant Commercial Historic District
to the national registry.
“Both Jessica and Laura excel at the historical research, architectural
description and perseverance that is necessary to prepare and follow through
with a National Register nomination for individual properties and districts,”
Hankins said. “And in the case of both the Natchez Street and Mount
Pleasant districts, the successful nominations are a significant tool
the residents and the towns have for preservation, heritage development
and funding.”
The nomination of the Natchez Street Historic District, located in Williamson
County, was prepared by Franklin resident Stewart, whose research findings
indicate that the Natchez Street neighborhood was viewed as the economic
and social center of Franklin’s African-American community.
Within this district, African Americans in Franklin during the first half
of the 20th century acquired property, reared families, gained employment
and maintained a self-sufficient neighborhood with a distinct cultural
heritage. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Natchez Street neighborhood,
although segregated, was a thriving area anchored by the vital Natchez
High School, churches, grocery stores, cafes, funeral homes, nightclubs
and the only local African-American hospital in segregated Franklin.
According to research, the Natchez Street neighborhood demonstrates an
integral part of the story of Franklin’s growth in both the black
and white communities. And although urban renewal and integration in the
1960s affected the neighborhood’s structure, it remains a vital cultural
and architectural resource in Franklin.
Hankins added that with its continuously evolving mixture of homes, businesses,
churches, schools and meeting halls, the Natchez Street district exemplifies
the evolution of a southern African-American neighborhood established
after Reconstruction.
Mt. Juliet native Davis prepared the successful nomination of Maury County’s
Mount Pleasant Commercial Historic District, which encompasses businesses
primarily along either side of Main Street and has buildings dating from
1880 to 1950.
According to Davis’ research, the majority of the 28 buildings in
the district date from 1900 to 1940, which coincides with the period of
the town’s greatest population growth and commercial development—a
time when Mount Pleasant reigned as the “Phosphate Capital of the
World.”
Per Davis’ background information, many of the buildings were not
designed by architects, but were constructed from company plans by miners
and other employees of the phosphate companies. An exception to this trend
is the U.S. Post Office, which dates from 1940 and was built to standard
specifications designed by architect Louis A. Simon. Memorial Park, a
green space in the center of town dominated by a Civil War monument, as
well as a mural that interprets early settlement life by New York artist
Eugene Higgins also are included in the commercial historic district.
Hankins said that a residential district in Mount Pleasant was added to
the National Register in 1989, making the more recent commercial historic
district the second historic district in Mount Pleasant to be formally
recognized.
For more information about the Center for Historic Preservation, call
615-898-2947.
Comedy ‘Reckless’ set
April 22-24 at Tucker Theatre
by Lisa L. Rollins
MTSU Theatre will bring “Reckless,” a quaint comedy about identity,
perceptions, romance and assassins, to the stage of Tucker Theatre at
7:30 p.m. daily April 22-24.
Although the laughs are nonstop, “Reckless” does have a serious
side, said show director Deborah Anderson.
“Even though the play creeps to the edge of absurdist, it still maintains
a sense of ‘it could happen,’ which allows the audiences to
relate to these overly dynamic characters,” said Anderson, professor,
speech and theatre.
“These characters take the audience on a ride through a hilarious
tale of one woman’s struggle after having her whole world turned
upside down,” she adds.
Similarly, MTSU student Tarkan Dospil, who plays the character of Tom
in “Reckless,” said the production “is truly a must-see
performance for adults of all ages.”
According to the comedy’s storyline, main character Rachael, seemingly
secure in her place in life, learns on Christmas Eve that her life is
in danger and that she must flee from her husband and two children for
her own protection. From there, a hilarious voyage of self-discovery leads
to the understanding of her true identity and the identity of her friends
whom she finds along the way.
“This play is guaranteed to keep its audience guessing and rolling
with laughter until the very last twist and the curtain is called,”
said Anderson.
Purchase advance tickets by calling 615-898-2103 or visit the Ticket Office
at Floyd Stadium, Gate 1A. Tickets also will be available at the door.
Tickets are $8 general admission and $6 for MTSU employees and senior
citizens. K-12 student admission is $4, and MTSU students will be admitted
free with valid ID. Parking is free. For information, contact 615-898-2103.
Panama provides site for internship
by Angela Cannon Hayes
Dr. Mary Nichols, professor, electronic media communication, went to Panama
for three weeks for a professional internship to work on the JASON Project,
partially with Titanic discoverer Dr. Robert Ballard.
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RIDING THROUGH CANAL—Dr. Mary Nichols,
left, professor, electronic media communication, takes a tugboat ride
along the Panama Canal with video photographer, Julye Newlin from
Houston during the JASON Project earlier this year.
photos submitted by Dr. Mary Nichols |
The JASON project consisted of video broadcasts,
which were produced by Media Arts again. Nichols worked for the production
company.
“We did 55 live shows,” Nichols said. “The shows originated
on Barro Colorado Island. This is a Smithsonian Research Island formed
when the U.S. flooded the area for the Panama Canal.”
One show each weekday aired on National Geographic between Jan. 26 and
Feb 6. Two MTSU electronic media communication majors also participated
in JASON this year. “Jessica White went to Panama, and Whitney Tyler
worked with the producer in Texas on the truck,” Nichols said. They
left Jan. 18 and returned Feb. 8.
“About 1.7 million students worldwide are involved in the show,”
she said. “They have interactive setups at pin sites around the world
so that the students can interact with the scientists and the student
Argonauts who are at the expedition location. There are about 30 student
Argos and 12 Argo teachers selected each year to work on site with the
scientists.”
As for Nichols’ role, she worked the first four days doing setup
and then worked on a field crew doing audio for the location shoots and
edited all the field packages, Nichols said. These packages were shot
around Panama.
“That's when I went on the tugboat in the canal,” she said,
adding they also went to a country farm, a rainforest and on Kinkajous
and sloth hikes.
Ballard of Connecticut is the oceanographer who discovered the remains
of the Titanic many years ago. So many kids wrote to him and asked if
they could go with him on an expedition, that he started the JASON Foundation.
That's why the project is conducted each year, Nichols said.
The kids study the JASON curriculum from September through January, and
it all culminates with the broadcasts, she said. They usually go to a
specific site, and they interact live with other students and researchers
on site during the hourlong program.
During the five shows per day, a different group of students attends each
show. Several students are selected each year to work with Ballard on
site.
“Bob did not host the entire project this year, but I was there when
he was working the show,” Nichols said. “I began JASON in 1999
and have gone every year.” In 2000, Dan Pfeifer, associate professor,
recording industry, was a professional intern.
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