by John Lynch
Several buildings are scheduled to get new steam lines this spring, resulting in temporary disruptions in pedestrian traffic. Jones Hall, Todd Library, Wiser-Patten Science, Davis Science, Peck Hall, Forrest Hall, ROTC Annex, and Keathley University Center will get new steam lines to replace existing lines which are 30 - 40 years old. Construction of equipment vaults will begin immediately at the east side of Peck Hall and south end of Davis Science Building.
Bill Smotherman,director of Construction Administration, says this is the first of a possible three-phase project to replace older underground steam lines.
"Installing the lines will be disruptive, but it is essential to maintaining a vital part of the campus infrastructure," he adds. "The ditches are usually the deepest of the underground utilities. They're also the widest because two pipes are installed -- one for steam, the other to return steam condensate back to the Central Plant for recycling. Underground equipment vaults along the route are also large, requiring a 15-foot square area for construction."
According to Smotherman, students and staff can expect fencing which will be erected to isolate the work area. Some frequently traveled routes will be blocked, making it necessary to seek alternate routes.
Questions regarding the project may be directed to the Construction Administration office at 898-2967.
by Tom Tozer
The celebration during National Women's History Month is simply one aspect of the Women's Rights Movement--a time each year when a magnifying glass is fixed on the remarkable contributions that women have made and continue to make to humankind. The NWHM celebration at MTSU extends through mid-April, signifying the fact that a single month is hardly enough time to begin to showcase the many achievements of today's women.
The following events round out this year's National Women's History Month at MTSU:
MARCH
Tuesday, 23: Women's Health Panel, "Women's Spirits: Finding Wholeness in Paradox," Rev. Lesley Hall-Tolliver; 3-4:30 p.m., KUC 314. Hall-Tolliver leads the Nashville Spiritual Community, a congregation promoting questioning and the exploration of traditional and new-age beliefs. Free and open. Call Sandra Fuentes, 615-898-8524.
Wednesday, 24: Women in Community Service (Brown Bag), "Positive Parenting," Exchange Club program, Lori Gailbreth, counselor, noon-1 p.m., JUB Dining Room C. Free and open. Call Dr. Shelley Thomas, 615-898-5757.
Wednesday, 24: Eighth Annual Women's International Poetry Reading, 4:15-5:30 p.m., Alumni Center. Showcasing poems written by women from various time periods and from 10 different countries. A reception will follow. Free and open. Call Nuria Novella, 615-898-2278.
Thursday, 25: Women in Science, "Persian Women in Science," Mansoureh Rezaee, MTSU Chemistry Dept., 9:30 a.m., Peck Hall 212. Free and open.
Thursday, 25, & Friday, 26: Fourth Annual Women's Leadership Conference. $25 fee for both days. Call Dr. Candace Rosovsky, 615-898-2193.
Thursday, 25: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. JUB. Breakout sessions, workshops, and more. Organized by students for students.
Thursday, 25: 7-8:30 p.m. Award-winning journalist Jill Nelson, keynote speaker, JUB Tennessee Room. Nelson's speech is free to MTSU students; $10 for faculty and others, on a space-available basis.
Friday, 26: Fourth Annual Women's Leadership Conference, Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Tennessee Room. Luncheon cost is $10 per person.
Tuesday, 30: Women in Nursing, "Health Care: Women's Work?" Dr. Suzanne Prevost, holder of the National HealthCare Chair of Excellence in Nursing, 9:30 a.m., JUB Dining Room C. Free and open. Call Prevost, 615-898-5957.
Tuesday, 30: Women in Art, "Art and Soul," Arunima Orr, 3-4:30 p.m., JUB Dining Room C. A former teacher at Cheekwood, Orr now owns her own studio, Art and Soul, in Nashville. Free and open. Call Dr. Shelley Thomas, 615-898-5757.
Wednesday, 31: Women in Community Service (Brown Bag), "Fresh Start," Drug Rehab Program, Anita Wiggs, Noon-1 p.m., JUB Dining Room C. Wiggs is a recovering drug addict and director of the "Fresh Start" program. Free and open. Call Dr. Shelley Thomas, 615-898-5757.
APRIL
Tuesday, 6: Women in Science, "Women in Science Partnerships: Are They Equal or Mutual?" Rubye Torrey, Tennessee Technological University, professor, Chemistry, and assistant vice president of Research; 4 p.m., Davis Science Building 100. Free and open. Call Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, 615-904-8253.
Wednesday, 7: Women in Community Service (Brown Bag), Hospice of Murfreesboro, Susie Rooker, Noon-1 p.m., JUB Dining Room C. Women's roles in Hospice. Free and open. Call Dr. Shelley Thomas, 615-898-5757.
Sunday, 11: National Women's History Month Walk/Run, Recreation Center, 2 p.m. (Run); 3 p.m. (Walk). Call Dr. Jackie Eller, 615-898-2125.
Wednesday, 14: Women in Psychology, EDMR/Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (Trauma and Stress Therapy), Bea Scarlata, Noon-1 p.m., JUB Dining Room C. Scarlata is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice since 1986. Free and open. Call Dr. Shelley Thomas, 615-898-5757.
Wednesday, 14: Dr. Jennifer Ring, "Hannah Arendt and the Political Consequences of Thinking," 3:30 p.m., Peck Hall 109. Ring is director of Women's Studies and associate professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. Free and open. Call Dr. Nancy Rupprecht, 615-898-2645.
by Priscilla Wainwright
MTSU undergrads receiving plus/minus grades will have GPAs more than 6 points lower than their classmates who receive regular letter grades.
The plus/minus system, discussed at the Faculty Senate March meeting earlier this month, may be used by professors beginning Fall 2000.
Lowering the GPAs of students could have several consequences, said Rosemary Kew, a senator and co-chair of a senate committee on academic affairs.
"This raises several red flags. If GPAs drop, we could lose students at the bottom end of the scale, and because enrollment determines funding, faculty as well."
Another caution was that students with lower GPAs may have difficulty competing for admission into graduate programs.
Since the new scale is only voluntary and not mandatory, Kew said, some students may choose courses taught by professors not using the new scale to make their GPAs as high as possible.
The other "red flag" was the concern whether prospective students would choose other schools where no plus/minus grading system was in place.
During the discussion, assistant professor of mathematical sciences Dr. Jan Zilstra said the problem of lower GPAs could be avoided if the grade of A+ was added to the scale. If it were, the GPA now calculated as 4.0 would become 4.33.
Zilstra created a mathematical model using computer-generated grades to demonstrate what effect the new grading system would have.
In spite of the possibility of lower GPAs, senators voted not to change the scale.
"We need to have some consistency on the Senate," said President Jerry Brookshire, after asking Vice President Diane Miller to take over the meeting.
"I'm not as concerned about the GPAs going down. They have been going up, and this may be a more accurate reflection of what students are accomplishing."
In response to the concern that students with the highest GPAs may be penalized when applying to graduate schools, Brookshire said it wasn't necessary to create a grading system so a small number of students could maintain a 4.0.
Former senate president Terry Whiteside's comment addressed an earlier question of how useful the new scale would be if it was not used by all faculty.
"If faculty don't want to use the new scale, they don't have to use it," he said. "That's part of academic freedom."
Whiteside continued, saying that the model discussed did not include the human or psychological factor -- when faculty decide to add a few points to compute a grade because of the student's work ethic, class participation or attitude.
At the senate's April 12 meeting, officers and steering committee members for the upcoming academic year will be elected, and new senators will be installed.
POSTAGE DUE: Artist and author Synthia Saint James recently visited MTSU during the African-American History Month celebration. Here Saint James, left, and friends are holding up a blowup of the official Kwanzaa Stamp, which she designed for the U.S. Postal Service. Standing alongside her are, starting 2nd from left, Doug Moyer, Special Projects, U.S. Postal Service; Mrs. Gwenn Walker; and President James E. Walker.
by Tom Tozer
MTSU's Center for Popular Music has been awarded a grant from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., in the amount of $10,150 to catalog 5,000 sound recordings.
Among its many holdings, including more than 125,000 sound recordings, the center currently has more than 35,000 78 rpm recordings. The grant will provide for the hiring of additional student workers who will assist in cataloging a portion of them. The project will start this May and run for a year.
"Our staff will spend the first couple of months figuring out what labels we want to handle and setting up the software," explained Mayo Taylor, coordinator of Research Collections in the center, who wrote the grant proposal and whose expertise includes cataloging. "Then we'll hire students around July 1 who will do much of the basic work." Taylor added that some of the current center staff will also be shifting their work priorities and assisting with the project.
"We hope that when the grant runs out, we'll have a system set up that will keep right on working as part of our general task," she said. "We may gradually eliminate the backlog. It never ends--we have things coming in all the time."
Founded in 1985, the center was established as a Center of Excellence under a program created by the Tennessee General Assembly and the governor. Under the direction of Paul Wells, the center's mission is to promote research and scholarship in American popular music and to raise the awareness of America's diverse musical culture. The center maintains an extensive archive and library, serving as a regional and national resource.
Taylor said that the 5,000 78s to be cataloged will primarily be comprised of small labels from the South, ones for which no one else has done a discography.
"A discography is like a bibliography," Taylor explained. "For example, a discography of Cab Calloway would list everything that he released on any label. Or you might have a discography of a record label that would include releases organized by artist. Some discographies are formed by song titles. They can be organized in a variety of methods."
The more mainstream LPs and major label 45s and 78s in the center are shelved in label-number order and identified by published discographies. However, most of the small labels and less popular genres are not well documented.
Some of those small independent labels include Nashboro, Ozark, Tennessee, Republic, Bullet, Dot, and White Church, among others, which emphasize gospel (black and white) hillbilly, early country, and folk artists. Bruce Nemerov, audio specialist in the center, will determine which labels in the center's collection fit those particular profiles, Taylor said.
"One of the nice things is that this process will also give us the chance to clean and reshelve items," Taylor noted. "Everything we handle will get preservation treatment. The 78 recordings are very brittle, so we'll have to handle them carefully."
by Tom Tozer
James "The Amazing" Randi bends spoons through sheer trickery, but when he visits MTSU, he'll "bend ears" for real with his lecture, "Science and the Chimera," Thursday, April 8, at 7 p.m., in the university's Learning Resources Center, Room 221.
The event is free of charge and open to the public.
Of Randi's lecture, the Washington Post wrote, "'Science and the Chimera' is not a magic show, though numerous demonstrations of ESP, psychokinesis, and other claimed powers are given to show the audience that they, too, can be deceived." His presentation has broken attendance records, often requiring the use of video monitors for overflow crowds. Words such as "provocative," "fascinating," and "entertaining," have been used by spectators and reviewers alike.
Randi is well-known for debunking the claims of individuals who say they have paranormal, supernatural, or occult powers--and who use those deceptions for the purpose of fraud. The late Dr. Carl Sagan said of one of Randi's books, The Truth About Uri Geller (Prometheus Books, Buffalo, NY, 1982), "...a healthy antidote to charlatanism on all levels."
Geller professed genuine psychic abilities and at one time convinced a number of scientists that such powers existed. For instance, Geller claimed he could bend spoons using the power of his mind. Randi duplicated Geller's feat by trickery, showing that it could be merely the work of a skilled magician.
"Randi, white-bearded and slightly but delightfully manic, told a packed house that frankly he, himself, is a fraud, a cheat, a dispenser of illusions...the discussion lasted well into the night," stated the Washington Post review, following his lecture.
Canadian-born Randi is a professional magician, the author of 11 books, an internationally known lecturer, and an amateur archaeologist and astronomer. He has hosted his own radio show, "The Randi Show," and appeared in many of his own TV specials in the United States and around the world. In 1974, he performed at the White House.
For more than 25 years, Randi's prize of $10,000 to anyone who could perform any paranormal, occult, or supernatural event went unclaimed. For a TV special in 1989, the prize was temporarily increased to $100,000. There were still no takers.
The James Randi Educational Foundation, established on April 1, 1996, has upped the ante by offering to pay $1 million to any person who can demonstrate paranormal ability of any kind, following prescribed rules and guidelines. Randi concludes his application form for the "Psychic Search" by stating that "several claimants have suffered great personal embarrassment after failing these tests." He suggests that before going public, the person be absolutely certain that he or she can produce the goods.
His Foundation is dedicated to promoting and teaching critical thinking about paranormal, supernatural, and occult claims, and is a source of data for educators, students, media, and researchers. The organization offers prizes and scholarships, conducts workshops and seminars, and funds selected parapsychological research. Randi publishes "SWIFT," the Foundation's newsletter.
In 1986, Randi was made a Fellow of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, honoring him for his investigatory work and, in particular, for his exposure of certain TV evangelists and "psychics." In 1989, the American Physical Society presented him with their Forum Award. In the same year, he received the Gold Medal of the University of Ghent, Belgium, for his work in combating pseudoscience.
Following the lecture, Randi will take questions from the audience. His appearance at MTSU is being sponsored by MTSU's Division of Academic Affairs, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, and the department of Physics and Astronomy.
Randi is visiting MTSU as a guest of the Tennessee Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the Society of Physics Students. He will address the TAAPT/SPS annual meeting Saturday morning, April 10, and will also be on hand to observe the unveiling of the Rube-Goldberg Machines created by area high school students. Awards will be presented that afternoon.
For more information about Randi's appearance, and also Saturday's Rube-Goldberg event, call Dr. Jay White MTSU associate professor, Physics and Astronomy, at 615-898-5946 or the department office at 898-2130.
by Tom Tozer Marvin Runyon, this year's luncheon speaker, will also present The Joe M. Rodgers Spirit of America Award. Runyon, former postmaster general, was last year's recipient.
On Friday, April 9, more than 50 executives from Nashville and the region will take over morning classes at MTSU to share their insights with students on adapting textbook wisdom to the trenches of the real-world work place.
The eighth annual University Takeover/Executives-in-Residence program at MTSU, sponsored by the Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise, is the largest event of its kind in the Southeast.
Area CEOs, managers, business owners, entertainment executives, and media moguls will visit 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. classes to share their experiences and answer questions. Participating classes represent every college at MTSU.
MTSU President James E. Walker will formally welcome guests at approximately 10 a.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall in the new Business and Aerospace Building.
"The Executives-in-Residence program provides an opportunity for our students to interact with some very dynamic executives in Middle Tennessee and gives them a chance to see some of the theory they're being taught in actual practice," explained Dr. Jim Burton, MTSU professor of accounting, and executive director of the Jones Chairs of Excellence.
In addition to the Free Enterprise Chair, the Joneses helped establish the new Jennings and Rebecca Jones Chair of Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning at MTSU.
"The classroom visitations will also give visiting executives an opportunity to know more about the quality of the students that we're making available to them as employees," Burton added.
Following the morning classes, there will be an invitation-only luncheon at noon in the Tennessee Room in the James Union Building.
Also expected at the luncheon will be Ambassador Joe Rodgers, sole holder of the Jones Chair in Free Enterprise for the past 10 years, who has been recuperating since last year from heart bypass surgery. Part of the day's celebration will be to recognize Rodger's decade of service as chairholder.
Runyon will present the second annual Joe M. Rodgers Spirit of America Award to an as-yet-unnamed recipient. Rodgers, former U.S. Ambassador to France and Nashville businessman, established the award last year. A selection committee named Runyon first recipient. The description of the award stipulates that the honoree will be "an accomplished businessperson who has also demonstrated the best of the Spirit of America through significant contributions in government, education, and/or civic and charitable organizations."
"The award is certainly a reflection of its namesake," Burton said. "Ambassador Joe Rodgers has done a great deal to enhance the education of our students through the chair activities. We believe he exemplifies those adjectives that capture the spirit of the award in his name--industrious, entrepreneurial, sacrificial, politically involved, charitable, creative, honest, and visionary."
Executives taking over classes on April 9 include Nancy Allen (Rutherford County Executive), Ross Barrett (Tennex Industries), Rob Barrick (Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.), T.B. Boyd (National Baptist Publishing Board), Robert Bunn (Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon), Brian Carr (Pathology Consultants of America), Gene Cheatham (Advanced Integrated Technology), Ron Cheatham (Metro Information Services), Jim Clarke (Eckenfelder), Judy Cline (Lee Hecht Harrison), Chip Crunk (Robert J. Young Co.), Laurie Danko (Saturn Corp.), Melanie Davenport (Cellular Concepts), Mark Eddy (Columbia/HCA HealthCare), and William Fryar (Mid-South Publishing Co.)
Others are Steve Gill (Hale, Headrick & Dewey), H. Lynn Greer (Tennessee Regulatory Authority), Bill Hall (WSMV-TV), Christie Hauck (The Christie Retail Group), Bob Hensley (Arthur Andersen LLP), Roland Jones (Jones & Jones Business Group), Dan Keen (ASCAP), Joe Kelley (American General Life and Accident Insurance), Richard Key (Aladdin Industries), Al Kirwan (Ohmite Mfg. Co./Commercial Products Group), Mack Linebaugh (The Bank of Nashville), Terry London (Gaylord Entertainment), Andrea Loughry (Miller & Loughry Insurance and Services), C. Stephen Lynn (Lynn Acquisitions, LLC), Leatrice McKissack (McKissack & McKissack), Trent Messick (Messick Homecare), and Bill Mooningham (Ernst & Young LLP).
Additional visiting executives include Dan Moore (The Southwestern Company), William Moore (Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authroity), Lee Moss (SunTrust Bank), Bob Murfree (First American National Bank), Charles Myatt (First Tennessee Bank, Murfreesboro), Bill Osborne (Hospitality Services of America), John Osborne (Osborne's), Perry Ozburn (Ozburn Hessey Logistics), Jimmy Pickel (Universal Tire Co.), Mark Pirtle (Mark Pirtle Automotive), Dick Ragsdale (ProMedCo Management Co.), Dallas Reynolds (State Farm Insurance Companies), Tandy Rice (Top Billing International), Muriel Robinson (Tennessee Trial Courts), Frederic Scarola (Brookside Properties), Jim Stokes (Quorum Health Resources), Earl Swensson (Earl Swensson Associates), Jack Turner (Jack B. Turner & Associates), Nellie Cole Ward (KPMG LLP), and Shirley Zeitlin (Shirley Zeitlin & Co. Realtors).
For more information on the Executives-in-Residence program, call 615-898-2764.
by Tom Tozer
The eighth annual MTSU Financial Industry Conference will take place at the Garden Plaza Hotel, in Murfreesboro, Monday, April 5, with registration and continental breakfast starting at 7:45. The program will commence at 9:00 and conclude at 2 p.m.
The Garden Plaza Hotel is located at 1850 Old Fort Parkway (Rt. 96, east of I-24).
Sponsored by MTSU's College of Business and Weatherford Chair of Finance, the cost is $15 per person, which includes continental breakfast, lunch, and materials.
The conference will be of particular interest to anyone involved in the financial services industry--bankers, executives of thrift institutions, insurance companies, brokerage houses, and other types.
This year's event will bring to Murfreesboro Alfred M. Pollard, senior director for Legislative Affairs, The Bankers Roundtable, and The Honorable Ellen Seldman, director, Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), both in Washington, D.C.
Pollard, who will speak at 11:15 a.m., is responsible for legislative and political affairs and works actively on regulatory issues. The Bankers Roundtable is open for membership to the nation's largest 125 banking institutions.
Seldman, who will speak at 1 p.m., following lunch, heads the OTS, an organization with approximately 1,275 staffers who regulate and supervise 1,170 thrifts with $795 billion in assets. OTS is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Seldman will entertain questions from the audience.
The conference will also feature Ricki Helfer, former chair of the FDIC (1994-1997) and now Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and her husband, Michael Helfer, a partner with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, a 250-lawyer firm, also in Washington. The Helfers were panelists at last year's conference.
Mrs. Helfer, a native of Smyrna, will speak earlier that morning at 9:30, following an introduction by her sister, Nancy Rhodarmer Allen, Rutherford County Executive.
Michael Helfer, who will speak at 10:45 a.m., recently argued and won the "Common Bond" case in the U.S. Supreme Court against the National Credit Union Administration. He clerked for Chief Judge David Bazelon of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Rounding out the dais will be Waymon Hickman, chairman, CEO, and director of First Farmers and Merchants National Bank and First Farmers and Merchants Corporation, Columbia. Hickman's bank was a co-sponsor of the 6th annual Financial Industry Conference in 1997. He will speak at 10 a.m.
"This has become a significant and highly respected event at MTSU," commented Dr. William F. Ford, holder of the Weatherford Chair and conference coordinator, who will provide a conference overview at 9 a.m. "That opinion has been expressed by many of the financial executives and entrepreneurs who have participated in previous conferences."
Ford previously served as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (1980-83), and moved to MTSU in 1991 from the University of Denver, where he was dean of the business school.
The Weatherford Chair of Finance at MTSU was established in 1986 to honor Jack O. Weatherford, one of Tennessee's most distinguished bankers of the post-war era.
Dr. James E. Walker, MTSU president, and Dr. Rick Elam, dean, College of Business, will welcome this year's conferees.
Paying guests may mail their $15 check, made payable to the MTSU Weatherford Chair of Finance, to Attn.: Gina Poole, P.O. Box 27, Murfreesboro 37132. Registrations should be received no later than March 29.
MTSU faculty, staff, and business students may attend free of charge if they register by March 29.
For more information about the conference or to register, please call (615) 898-2883, or fax (615) 898-5962, or email GPOOLE@MTSU.edu.
by Priscilla Wainwright
Denise McMahan is thinking about pinatas and Cinco De Mayo. That's the theme for the gift her mother will receive on Mother's Day -- an outfit and a pinata.
But her mother won't be able to wear the outfit herself. The outfit is one of many McMahan creates for one of the dolls her mother collects.
McMahan, secretary in Recording Industry, began getting doll kits, then designing and making dresses for these new dolls two years ago.
"My mother has been collecting dolls for eight years. I thought the dolls were something we could do together, even though it's long-distance."
What began as a hobby shared by a mother and daughter has branched out to be shared with friends and family.
After mentioning her hobby to friends and colleagues, McMahan began receiving requests to create dolls and outfits for specific occasions.
A self-described doll enthusiast, McMahan receives catalogues on dolls, outfits, patterns, and accessories. She works in a sewing room in her home, surrounded by dolls watching from their stands.
The inspiration for some of the outfits come from designs for children's clothing, or holidays and special events.
In addition to sewing the outfits, McMahan sometimes redesigns dresses after deciding on a pattern or style.
McMahan's interest in sewing is not something new. She admits to doing some sewing, such as pillows and curtains for her home, but says it's not as much fun as the sewing she does for family members and friends.
Even more than a way to spend time being creative, McMahan has found a way to serve others with the dolls. Last year a co-worker, after seeing the dolls, mentioned an elderly neighbor who lived alone. McMahan bought a kit and assembled the doll, then designed several outfits for "Laura". She sent the doll, the outfits, and a card announcing that "someone thought you needed a friend."
Preferring to remain an anonymous benefactor, she said it's rewarding to give something away, and will give two away each year.
She gave another doll, Sarah Ann, away at Christmas, to a woman who had recently lost her husband.
Although designing and making the outfits and accessories is time consuming, she enjoys the reaction when she gives either the doll or the outfits as gifts.
Her Christmas present to her mother last year was a complete bridal outfit for a doll. She wrapped each piece of the outfit seperately, numbererd them, and made her mother open them one at a time, underwear, headpiece and garter belt, before finally coming to the dress itself.
But the giving is not, by any means, all one way. McMahan's mother also makes dolls and outfits as well, which she gives as gifts to female family members.
And it goes back even farther than that. McMahan proudly recalls the outfits worn by her childhood Barbie dolls had been lovingly crafted by her mother.
She doesn't foresee going into business, preferring to keep her creations and designing as a hobby. She has completed an outfit that she is entering in a contest.
But the dolls are more than just a sewing hobby. Each has its own stand and they are arranged in settings that compliment their outfits. For Valentine's Day, the dolls were arranged for a tea party. The doll with a Cinco De Mayo costume will have a pinata as an acccessory.
Proof that the dolls are more like members of the family is evident during the holidays. For example, at Christmas, when stockings line the mantel, there one for each doll.
So if you see McMahan on campus, she probably does have visions dancing in her head. They may be sugarplums, but are more likely new designs for her dolls.
A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS: The staff of MTSU Sponsored Programs are (l.-r.) Dr. Myra Norman, director; Trina Heffington, secretary; Jeannie Paul, technical clerk; Rebecca Sharpe, grant information specialist; and Dr. Christopher Crowell, research development specialist.
by John Lynch
Although MTSU has been traditionally considered a teaching university, faculty and students are becoming increasingly involved in a variety of research projects. The Academic Master Plan, which was developed to chart the university's course to our centennial year, 2011, calls on the faculty to "guide students' learning through research."
One of the important resources available to faculty is the office of Sponsored Programs, under the direction of Dr. Myra Norman. She says she appreciates MTSU's tradition of excellent teaching.
"I think we can still maintain that reputation," she adds, "and place additional emphasis on integrating research and teaching. It's important not only for students and our current faculty, but also for new faculty who want to come here and keep their research ongoing. Our job is to see what types of research and public service the faculty are interested in and help them find funds."
She indicates that much of the emphasis from funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NSF, has been on collaborative research, not only between institutions, but within the institutions themselves.
She says that MTSU is still not well known to many funding agencies.
"We're trying to make our name," she adds. "It's to our advantage to enter into external collaborations with larger research universities who may already have received grants."
Norman says her office has increased by two professional staff members recently. Rebecca Sharpe, grant information specialist, came to MTSU in November 1997. Dr. Chris Crowell came on board in August 1998 as research development specialist.
Crowell encourages faculty members to visit the Sponsored Programs' web site, http://www.mtsu.edu/~sponprog.
"Some who might not have applied for grants recently might not know what's out there," he says. "We have a great deal of information on our web site that might be useful to them. Five years ago most of the grant announcements came in on paper. Now many of the announcements are on the Internet."
Sharpe also encourages faculty members to come to the Sponsored Programs office and complete a faculty profile.
"We subscribe to a database service which helps us match our faculty to available grants," she says. "When we get announcements about grants we can use the profile and notify faculty. It's important for us to have the information on hand because there's such a short turnaround on many grants -- deadlines of only a month or two."
Research is not the only activity funded through grants. Sharpe notes that public service projects received a large share of grant money.
Crowell adds that many of the funding agencies like to fund projects which require collaboration between institutions and also between different departments within the institution.
Sharpe cautions that grants don't always get funded on the first try.
"Many times people get frustrated and discouraged. It's such a let down," she remarks. "You have to be persistent."
"Most grants are very competitive," Crowell adds. "They're reviewed by experts, and if they're not familiar with the school, they may not award the grant. The more we submit, the more they become familiar with MTSU, and the better our chances are. This is a very capable faculty, but in order to be awarded a grant you have to apply. We can't stress that enough."
"We're here to help the faculty," Sharpe continues. "We want to help them get familiar with procedures. If they bring in a rough draft of a proposal, we'll work with them and improve it."
Heritage by Priscilla Wainwright
In a short speech recently, MTSU psychology professor Dr. Jeannette Heritage said that her upbringing was markedly different from that of her younger sister.
"...my father...told me never to take anything off a man because I was a woman. I have a sister 8 years younger, and we were reared so differently that it is hard to believe we have the same parents."
One of 16 Nashville-area women nominated for the Athena Award, Heritage has continued to heed her father's advice, through her career in pharmacy, her return to school to pursue a master's then a doctorate, and her climb to her current rank, full professor.
Heritage, who was nominated by the American Council on Education's National Identification Program, will be in attendance at the Parthenon in Nashville, March 25, when the winner is announced.
She entered the field of pharmacy after receiving her bachelor's degree from Auburn University, saying "they were hiring us right out of the graduation line, and gender didn't make any difference."
Although she had always harbored a dream of furthering her education, the last straw was the day in 1967 when a pharmacy customer said she wasn't sure her daughter was worth the price of the prescription.
"I was furious. My husband came out, handed me the car keys, and told me to get registered at the University of Southern Alabama's counseling program."
She continued to battle public perception that women were not as competent as men, completing her graduate coursework in two years all the while being asked whether she was capable of passing the courses. "When I went to Mississippi Southern, they asked me the same thing."
Looking back over her 28 years at MTSU, Heritage says the campus has been affected by the Women's Movement. "I think more young women have come here because it is a friendlier place [for women]."
Throughout her tenure, she has been a member of the faculty senate and the senate steering committee, saying that being involved helps her know what's going on.
Other campus involvement includes the Association of Faculty and Administrative Women, work towards establishing both the women's center and campus daycare facility, and the establishment of the Women's Studies minor.
She says persistence paid off.
" I was trying to get money for the Women's Center library. Dr. [Sam] Ingram called a meeting. He said he had extra library money, and the first person with a list of journals would get the money.
"The list [of journals we needed for Women's Studies] was on my desk in Peck Hall. I went and got it, took it back to Cope, and gave it to him."
An ordained deacon at First Baptist Church, Heritage says that with her strong religious convictions, she could have been a missionary. She is certain that her faith and her involvement with her church were a plus when she was hired.
Heritage has served as faculty advisor for several student groups, and was involved in the establishment of a campus chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, an organization she herself joined as a student.
"I called my mother in Atlanta, and said if I had the money, I would join the honor society. Mama said the check was in the mail. I tell students now that belonging to honors groups looks good on their resumes."
To prepare for her doctoral level exams, Heritage recalls reading up on educational theory, since her coursework had not been in that area. She used numerous blue books for the exams, including many of her own ideas on what good teachers should do, many of which she has used during her teaching career.
Nominated several times for the MTSU Foundation's Outstanding Teacher Award, Heritage was the winner of a 1997 Woman of Achievement Award given by the Women's Leadership Conference, and the winner of the Woman of the Year Award given by the Association of Faculty and Administrative Women.
Looking over the list of her fellow nominees for the Athena Award, Heritage laughs. "If they had asked me whether I wanted to be nominated, I would have said no. I ask myself, 'what am I doing competing with these women?'"
by Priscilla Wainwright
Multimedia may be one way to describe the Emmy-winning 30-second commercial MTSU senior Bobby Grubic created.
But it may be a good term to describe him as well.
The commercial, which aired on one of Nashville's network affiliates last year, received a regional Emmy in the Student Production category.
A Recording Industry major who has also written and recorded his own songs, Grubic used 10 minutes worth of photos, images, and information in the commercial.
Grubic says working on the commercial was a challenge, because it allowed him to work on several of his areas of interest.
"Multimedia gives you the freedom to work on all aspects of the project you're working on. You can do it yourself because you know what you want."
Originally from Croatia, Grubic came to MTSU after going to school in London.
"I was taking English and business courses and working on a few music courses," he recalls. "I was producing for myself and mixing music for other people."
One of his songs was being played back in Croatia. Its translation "I Want You" was the first single he recorded in English.
Several of the draws to come to MTSU were the equipment in the Mass Communi-cation building, and the prospect of lots of hands-on time.
"Having substantially more studio hours gives you more time to develop yourself."
Reflecting back on what he had seen and heard about the United States before coming here, he admits it was a bit different than he expected.
"In Europe, we view America as a very liberal country, because of what we see about New York and California. I got here with a torn jean jacket and earring and applied for a job. They told me that I couldn't apply for a job with an earring," he recalls, shaking his head and laughing.
"I wondered where I had come to."
Cited by his professors as a good student who is willing to work hard and take advantage of what MTSU has to offer, Grubic is quick to return the compliments.
"Two people -- Marc Barr in digital animation and Chris Harris in photography, well, the whole photography department really -- have been kind to me."
He is also grateful to Radio-TV/Photo-graphy Department chair Dr. Mary Nichols, who paid the Emmy entry fee for the commercial, as well as News and Public Affairs Director Doug Williams, who Grubic says "had faith that the commercial would be accomplished. Thank you for choosing this project for the official MTSU commercial.
"What I like about MTSU is that you can do many things if you want to. You can take many classes, and can do individual projects. The faculty will let you do it and help you all the way, which is a big plus. You can't get that everywhere."
Currently completing his coursework before graduating in May, Grubic is working on several departmental web pages, and hasn't really had much time to reflect on actually winning an Emmy.
"I guess I'm still in some kind of 'seventh heaven.' It hit me pretty bad on the day I got it -- I was very emotional."
But keeping a grueling schedule and looking forward to graduation, along with the student practice of operating on very little sleep to use studios whenever they are available, in his own words, "doesn't help."
Looking beyond graduation, first on Grubic's list is some time vacationing in Croatia. "I want to be there in June before the tourists come, when it's quiet." Laughing, he says, "I want to sleep for a month."
After that, he is considering moving to California, which he thinks would be a good place "to explore, and try something different. I'm still in that phase of my life where I want to find myself and see what I can actually do in the real world."
But another option is Australia.
"I would like to work for a while, see how they live over there. I miss Europe a lot, but still want to see different cultures and ways of living."
Traveling and living abroad has its advantages. "I can re-invent myself, taking things I like from different cultures. If everybody traveled more, we all would learn more and fight less."
The musician in Grubic is evident in his eclectic musical taste. He likes dance music, but also classics -- Little Richard, James Brown, and Cher. As quickly as he discusses their performance skills and energy, he turns a page, so to speak, and says he also likes classical music.
He still nurtures a dream of returning to actually performing himself, having had a band where he was the "front man," singing and playing keyboard.
But he realizes it is a dream he can't hold on to forever.
"I can't imagine myself as an old man performing dance music. It's simply not the nature of the industry."