Elizabeth Wright

Parents of MTSU student sacrifice to honor their daughter's memory

By Doug Williams

It is a long and winding road trip to the East Tennessee home of Addie and Tilford Wright. Not much would distinguish the Wrights' small home from the others surrounding it in Soddy-Daisy, outside Chattanooga.

The inside of their home is decorated with literally dozens of pictures of their only child Elizabeth, who died in 1994. Elizabeth was rather remarkable in that she was one of the brightest students in the area and also maintained a sunny disposition despite her uncertain future. Elizabeth was born with a serious congenital heart-lung aliment.

WHAT REALLY SETS the family apart in the minds of many, however, is their attitude about life. While many people worry about house payments and the stock market, the Wrights are thankful for what they have, thankful they had a wonderful daughter for 24 years. And despite age and declining health, they still want to help others.

The Wrights, although people of modest means, have made arrangements to personally endow a scholarship in their daughter's memory to help some future MTSU students. Their gift of $7,000 will endow the Elizabeth Wright Scholarship, which will be awarded every spring by the psychology faculty to a student who has overcome hardships and still persevered in his or her college education.

"Giving this money to another student like Elizabeth is the best thing we can do," said Addie Wright, from her home on Rock Quarry Road. "Elizabeth always wanted to help other children and I promised her on her deathbed that we would do something like this to remember her. Besides, we have everything we need and are happy we can do this for someone else."

Elizabeth came very close to death when she was 11 weeks old. While she endured many procedures over the years at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and in Chattanooga, she continued to work hard in school and was a top student at Soddy-Daisy High School. After scoring 30 on her ACT, she received a scholarship from Judson College. After graduating from Judson she enrolled at MTSU.

"PEOPLE AT MTSU were so good to her, and the school meant a great deal to her. We encouraged her to be independent, and she was, but so many people at MTSU seemed to take a real interest in her. I think she also made an impression on some people while she was there."

Elizabeth's efforts to get a graduate degree did make a lasting impression on the faculty in the psychology department, said Dr. Jerden Johnson. Johnsoncurrently is on sabbatical in Honesdale, Pa., studying yoga psychology.

He is studying how people can improve their focus on life and admits it can be "as deep as you want to go." He says Elizabeth was extraordinary in her ability to focus on the present, and that was a gift she shared with others.

"I had her for a practicum in clinical psychology," Johnson said. "She wanted to be a counselor for disabled children. During a practicum I get to know my students fairly well. Once we talked about Elizabeth's future and she told me matter-of-factly that her future might just be three to five years. I often saw her walking around campus with an oxygen tank, and I suspect it was a struggle for her sometimes. But Elizabeth always stayed on course with what she was doing.

"She was great working with students and was always able to focus on them and their problems. Actually she didn't cut them any slack and didn't coddle them when they said they couldn't get things together. Because she understood the precious nature of time, she always seemed to have this very urgent desire to get their problems ironed out and to help them move on with their life."

Johnson still remembers the day in his classroom when someone came in and informed Elizabeth that a donor for a heart-lung transplant had been found, and she had to leave for the hospital immediately. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died shortly after her Dec. 1, 1994, surgery. She was nine days away from graduation.

Elizabeth's spirit impressed many members on the faculty, said Dr. Larry Morris, chair of the psychology department. Last year, the department established a non-monetary award in her memory to recognize students who overcome hardships while in school.

"Elizabeth was always one of the favorites of the faculty in clinical psychology," he said. "She was a spunky young lady and the epitome of a student who gave her all, despite some obvious hardships. The faculty initiated this award because they wanted to do something to remember her.

"We are very humbled that the Wrights want to now endow this award. It is obvious Elizabeth's attitudes were established early on by her parents who are very giving people."

Addie Wright has always been a big believer in education. As a young girl, she walked to the library twice a week to check out books. "Ben Hur" is her favorite novel. She has read every page in the Bible and is an avid reader of Guideposts, but she also confessed to a fondness for reading comic books when she was a child.

"I was the oldest of 11 children, and we were always encouraged to read and make something of ourselves," said Addie, who still has a twinkle in her eye despite her hardships. "When I got older I had to work and help out the family, but I eventually got my GED. I even worked as an aide in the Head Start program for 18 years."

Addie and Tilford are not in the best of health now. She has had multiple heart by-pass surgeries and he has chronic respiratory ailments. Despite these problems, though, she regularly visits Elizabeth's grave in Welch Rogers Cemetery in nearby Sale Creek.

"Elizabeth meant the world to us," Addie said. "She worked so hard during her life, but never complained. We were so proud of her. When she was growing up there weren't any psychologists to help her work through some of her challenges. That's what she wanted to do. Now maybe there will be some other students who can do that."

To donate to the Elizabeth Wright Scholarship, please contact the psychology department at 615-898-2706.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Crisis counseling available for MTSU community in wake of terrorism attacks

By Tom Tozer

There may be a greater need for counseling a few days after last Tuesday's tragedy than there will be today, says Dr. Jane Tipps, director of the Counseling and Testing Center at MTSU.

Student Affairs officials made counseling services available in KUC 322 beginning Sept. 11 to any students who needed to talk about the unfolding drama surrounding the terrorism attacks on the U.S.

"We (didn't have) much counseling activity (on the day of the attack)," Tipps said. "We have seen students huddled around TV sets watching. The need for counseling often depends on what else is going on in an individual's life." As the tragedy sinks in and as the number of actual fatalities becomes known, only then will a person's coping skills really be tested. Tipps believes that's when the need for counseling will increase.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Barnet: Here's hoping our new president screws up!

For the Record

by Dr. Richard D. Barnet, recording industry

I want President Sidney McPhee to succeed at MTSU. But, odd as it might seem, I also hope that he screws up occasionally. You might ask, "Why would anyone want the president of this dynamic university to make mistakes?" The answer lies in the definition of a dynamic: "energetic, vigorous and forceful." Energy, vigor and force infer movement and transformation rather than status quo. And, more important, change is not predictable.

DR. McPHEE WILL not have the luxury of a crystal ball. As the president leads MTSU through its next stage, or stages, of evolution, he will need to take chances. And, as we all know, anyone who takes chances is likely to make the wrong decision on occasion.

I hope that Dr. McPhee will remember something that Dr. James Walker, his predecessor, said: "If it ain't broke, break it! Then put it back together better." The alternative philosophy, "We've always done it this way," does not foster a dynamic environment. It does, however, perpetuate bureaucratic monoliths that move at glacial speed.

OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT should not be too proud to admit when one of his decisions, ideas or innovations does not unfold the way he imagined. It takes strength of leadership to say, "We tried my new idea, but it didn't work."

Lee Iacocca, the CEO who led the dramatic turnaround of the Chrysler Motor Company, was quoted as saying a strong leader should feel fortunate if one out of every three decisions they make turns out to be a good one. It's significant that he didn't phrase it, "You should feel lucky if only two out of three decisions are bad ones."

If President McPhee is going to take bold steps toward changing this university, he should never consider himself to be in a popularity contest. If he were to approach his leadership role as a politician--overly concerned about his popularity ratings--he'd worry too much about offending people or cliques within the university.

Furthermore, if the president avoids implementing any changes that have the potential to upset a few politically powerful people, he'll put a lot of great innovations on the back burner. And believe me, we have our own political soap operas, complete with Ivory Tower demagogues, just like every other institution of higher learning. Anyone who thinks we don't have partisan politics in the academy has probably never served on a tenure review committee or watched an annual budget develop!

I SUSPECT, THOUGH, that President McPhee is keenly aware that his obligation is not to any one individual or group. I'm sure he knows that he's responsible to the taxpayers of Tennessee, THEC, TBR and MTSU.

I have a theory that most people in our culture find the anticipation of change more upsetting than the results of change. I think President McPhee should assume that people will first bristle at any suggestion of change but will, in all likelihood, be energized after they realize the benefits of innovation.

You can test my theory the next time a chair, dean or vice president makes the simple statement, "We're going to implement some changes around here." Look around the room and you'll probably see most people rising about an inch or two in their seats. It's their gluteus muscles tightening in anticipation of the some horrible, but imagined, transformation of their role at MTSU. If the crystal ball is half full of potentially bad things and half full of possible good stuff, most of us only see the bad.

If I were granted one wish this fall, I'd ask that President McPhee have fun with this stage of his career. If he does, he'll realize that his job is not about construction of buildings, juggling of budgets or development of programs. It's about people, especially the "MTSU family." We might be a dysfunctional family at times, but we're still kin. When Dr. McPhee wins the admiration of the faculty and staff, as I'm sure he will, he'll get the bricks 'n' mortar, money and programs he dreams of, because his new MTSU family will deliver them.

Welcome to MTSU, President McPhee. Now get out there and screw up!

Do you have something to say "For The Record?" If so, submit column ideas to Lisa L. Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Noted chemist Bergo to discuss chemicals

in the marketplace during MTSU visit

by Randy Weiler

Noted chemistry professor Dr. Conrad Bergo of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania will visit MTSU on Sept. 26-27.

Bergo will discuss "Chemicals in the Marketplace in Thailand" while making a Sept. 26 presentation to Sigma Xi, a professional scientific organization. He will make a similar presentation Sept. 27 during the chemistry department's weekly seminar open to students and faculty. Both will take place in Davis Science Building Room 100.

"Throughout the marketplace, chemicals help manufacture goods, add color and flavor, and enhance our lives," Bergo said in discussing his presentation topic. "Marketplace chemistry may be separated into two parts. Industries use chemical processes to make goods for sale, and natural products contain chemicals that impart aroma, color and taste."

"The silver, silk, craft and orchid industries in Thailand use chemical processes extensively," Bergo added. "The natural colors of oranges, tomatoes and shrimp come from a family of compounds that is related to vitamin A.

"WE WILL LOOK AT particular compounds responsible for the aromas of jasmine and tropical fruits. We will see how onions, garlic, basil and tamarind enhance our food. Compounds in ginger and hot peppers are being studied for medicinal properties."

A native of Chicago, Bergo joined the East Stroudsburg faculty in 1980 to teach physical and general chemistry. He currently is concentrating his efforts on developing new methods for teaching general chemistry. His work on microscale labs and new experiments with He-Ne and nitrogen lasers has produced several presentations at the national American Chemical Society meetings.

"I met Dr. Bergo in the summer of 2000 in Washington, D.C., at the national ACS meeting," said Dr. Martin Stewart, associate professor, chemistry. "He was the organizer of the chemical education section at that meeting."

STEWART ADDED THAT this is a wonderful opportunity to bring a well-known chemical educator to MTSU, and that Drs. Amy Phelps, Gary White and Tammy Melton and others with a chemical educator interest will benefit from Bergo's MTSU appearance.

For information about Bergo's chemistry seminar appearance, call Stewart at 615- 898-2073.

For information about Bergo's Sigma Xi appearance, call Dr. John P. DiVincenzo, assistant professor, at 615-904-8251.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Grad student archives reporter's legacy for MTSU's Gore Center

by Gina Logue

One of the nation's largest known individual collections of information about equestrian events is now available to researchers, thanks to the work and dedication of an MTSU graduate assistant.

The Margaret Lindsley Warden Collection is being housed at MTSU's Albert Gore Sr. Research Center.

HORSIN' AROUND--Above, Margaret Lindsley Warden, circa 1940s, with one of her favorite creatures. Journalist Warden dedicated more than 50 years to covering the equestrian sport for The Tennessean. photo courtesy of the Albert Gore Sr. Research Center

Warden, a former reporter for the Nashville Tennessean (later The Tennessean), donated her hand-written notes, rare books and newspaper clippings to the Gore Center in 1988. Her column, "Horse Sense," ran in The Tennessean from 1939 to 1994.

UNDER THE DIRECTION of Dr. Lisa Pruitt, assistant professor, history, and director of the Albert Gore Sr. Research Center, graduate student Jennifer "Perky" Beisel organizes and maintains the collection.

Beisel says the collection includes some 3,000 volumes of serial publications, 2,500 photographs and more than 900 individual titles of monographs totaling 27 cubic feet of space.

"It has great potential for researchers," Pruitt says. "We were so fortunate to have Perky Beisel, with her knowledge of equestrian matters, to process the collection."

Old newspapers are preserved by pulling out staples, paper clips and other potentially damaging metal items. Then, the newspapers are transferred onto acid-free paper to retard deterioration. Some items are stored in acid-free boxes to prevent the onset of mold.

Warden stored her collection in her basement and her attic, which required Beisel and the graduate students assisting her to remove "dirt, cobwebs, all the little critters" before tackling this preservation effort.

Beisel says the other two collections of equine literature that rival Warden's are housed in Lexington, Ky., and at the National Sporting Library in Middleburg, Va. But, she says, those large research libraries deal only in books and magazines.

"IF YOU WERE GOING TO survey all the different museums (that) might have a little collection here or there, this is definitely going to rank in one of your top ones, especially if you consider (a) wide range of activities," Beisel says.

Warden, now 97 and living at the same Nashville address where she has lived since 1912, never married, never owned a car and never learned how to drive. Beisel says other reporters, staff photographers, and friends and family took her to all her assignments. She covered more than 30 different breeds of horses and the people who loved and raised them. But, according to Beisel, Warden was prohibited from covering one of Middle Tennessee's most prestigious competitions, Nashville's Iroquois Steeplechase, because it was considered "a man's beat." WARDEN LEFT HER mark not only on journalism, however, but on the industry as well. In 1954, she organized the first nonmilitary Olympic three-day equestrian trials in the United States at Percy Warner Park in Nashville. The competition proved to be a more grueling test than even Warden anticipated. Because of temperatures above 100 degrees, four owners withdrew, 11 horses failed to complete the course, and two horses died. The winner, ironically, was a horse named Drop Dead.

Beisel, a Kansas City native whose mother is a hunter/jumper and dressage trainer and whose father is a steeplechase and fox hunting participant, says archiving Warden's life's work "has been a blast ... learning about the horses, seeing pictures of these people on the horses that I've heard about from my parents and other trainers, or horses that I read about in books, and, then all the families and the people that go along with it."

THE MARGARET LINDSLEY WARDEN collection is available for viewing 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Monday through Friday.

For more information, call the center at 615- 898-2632.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

MTSU community has opportunity to honor a distinguished colleague

by Tom Tozer

The MTSU Foundation is accepting nominations for the Career Achievement Award from full-time MTSU faculty, academic administrators, students, and alumni.

The award, a $5,000 stipend from the Foundation, will be presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated profound, sustained and high-quality contributions in the areas of teaching, innovation, publication and research/creative activity, as well as service to the university, community and the education profession.

A committee was established to recognize an outstanding faculty member, who is a great teacher, has made contributions to his/her profession and is involved in the life of the university.

The recipient of the Career Achievement Award must be a full-time faculty member with a minimum 10 years of service to MTSU at the rank of full professor--or 15 years of full-time service to the university.

Award candidates must be nominated by a minimum of five individuals, at least three of whom must be full-time faculty or academic administrators. A university selection committee, recommended by the Faculty Senate and appointed by the university president, will forward three finalists to a Foundation selection committee, who will then make the final choice for the award.

"We appreciate the opportunity to do something that recognizes the outstanding contributions that MTSU faculty make to this university and the community," stated Bill Jones (MTSU '82), executive vice president of Cavalry Banking and this year's Foundation president. "One reason MTSU has progressed so far is that the faculty take a genuine interest in their students. This is evident when you see them at work. There are any number of faculty members who could receive this award," he added. "My hope is that this award will honor those teachers.

"I am proud of the Foundation for having the vision to establish such an award and for taking a leadership role in making it happen," he continued. "Our faculty deserve this recognition, and we need to continually look for ways to show our gratitude for the good work they do."

Jones said that the Foundation gives about $65,000 a year in awards for faculty. He added that he was pleased to see the large number of nominations submitted last year, which indicated the many quality faculty members at MTSU. He said he is confident that this year's response will be just as enthusiastic.

Nominations for the Career Achievement Award should be sent to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (Cope 119) by Nov. 1. Eligible candidates will be notified of their nomination by Dec. 1 and asked to submit an outline supporting information data.

Nomination forms may be picked up in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Alumni Center or in the Student Government Association Office, KUC 208.

Those wanting a form may also go online to http://www.mtsu.edufaculty/caa.pdf. This will automatically download the form and open it for printing. This requires Acrobat Reader.

The form also may be accessed from the main MTSU homepage at www.mtsu.edu. Select the "Faculty" tab to get to the Web for Faculty page. The "Career Achievement Nomination Form" link will download the form and open for printing.

For more information, contact Dr. Deborah Gentry at 615-898-5142.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Cheatham now serving as interim dean for College of Basic and Applied

By Randy Weiler

cheatham

Dr. Tom Cheatham takes a full-time approach to interim challenges. Cheatham recently was named interim dean for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences by Drs. Barbara Haskew, provost, and Bob Jones, associate vice president, Academic Affairs, and approved by President Sidney McPhee.

"MY GOAL IS to serve the college (of Basic and Applied Sciences) and the university. That's why I agreed to move into the interim position," said Cheatham, former interim associate dean, and professor, computer science.

"It's a learning opportunity for me," added Cheatham, who worked alongside Dr. Ray Phillips, former dean of the college, director of the McNair Program and an educational consultant. "I appreciate Dr. Phillips giving me the chance to work with faculty and department chairs and directors. It's neat to work with everybody in a lot of areas. It is my honor to serve as the interim dean.

"I THINK OUR strength lies in our faculty and their passion for helping students. I know many faculty members in the college who, at the expense of their own personal time, spend hours helping students. Special thanks are owed to these faculty. The university asks students to name a faculty or staff member who has 'made a difference in their life.' This past year, more than 40 percent of the faculty received this recognition. Thank you for caring."

Cheatham served as chair of the computer science department from 1990 through '98.

"I found new ways to help students and new opportunities to help faculty achieve their goals," he said, referring to his role as department chair.

HE WAS A Summer Research Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., in 1989-90. This came while he was a faculty member at Western Kentucky University, where he taught virtually every bachelor's and master's degree courses from 1980 to '90. He also taught math and computer science at Samford University in Birmingham.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

By Randy Weiler

 

Eric Klumpe

Klumpe explores 'Life Support Planets' in Sept. 17 Honors lecture

In the 1960s, astronomy researcher Dr. Carl Sagan and his colleagues studied the possibility of life existing on other planets.

Some 30 to 40 years later, MTSU's Dr. Eric Klumpe, an aerospace engineer-turned-physicist and astronomer, continues to carry that cause to a new generation of colleagues and university students.

Klumpe, assistant professor, physics and astronomy, will present "Life Support Planets" at 3 p.m. Sept. 17 during the MTSU Honors Lecture Series in Peck Hall 109A. The lecture is free and open to the public. This semester, the theme for the lecture series is "Urgent Issues! Red Light!" -- hot topics facing the world today.

"MY GOAL IS to provide a current update on research begun by Carl Sagan in the 1960s where he and his collaborators identified physical parameters that are necessary for a planet to support life," said Klumpe, who now is in his third year at MTSU.

"USING STATISTICS, Dr. Sagan then would estimate how many life support planets could exist in the Milky Way galaxy," Klumpe added. "In brief, the list of parameters a planet must meet has grown from a couple to well over 40. It is amazing what biologists, chemists, geologists and others have contributed to this fascinating area of research."

Sagan died in 1996, but others -- including Klumpe -- will continue the legacy of Sagan's pioneering efforts in his absence.

Klumpe said the reason he chose this topic as an 'urgent issue' "is that with all the extra solar planets being discovered lately, the idea of communicating with other civilizations on other planets seems to be a topic of popular discussion -- one that may soon become a much higher priority for publicly funded research."

Klumpe said the department of Physics and Astronomy will continue its series of monthly lectures and star parties throughout the semester in the university's Wiser-Patten Science Hall, Room 102. Weather permitting, the star party will begin at 8 o'clock.

BEFORE COMING TO MTSU, Klumpe designed spacecraft at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

For information about the Honors College, the lecture series or the Honors College's efforts to raise $2 million to match a gift by brothers Paul and Lee Martin to build a new Honors College Building, call Dr. John Paul Montgomery, dean, Honors College, at 615-898-2152.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

MTSU's new medical director sets high goals for Health Services

 

THE DOCTOR IS IN--Junior Amber Bryant of Nashville gets her blood pressure checked by Dr. Pat Spangler, MTSU's new medical director. photo by Ken Robinson

By Randy Weiler

MTSU recently hired Dr. Pat Spangler as the university's new medical director, and he andRick Chapman, director, health services have big plans for the department.

Spangler and Chapman have collaborated on a wish list that includes:

* Hiring another full-time medical doctor;

* Hiring another mid-level provider;

* Hiring another nurse;

* Expanding the pharmacy;

* Obtaining equipment like a hematology analyzer and an electrocardiogram machine this year and an X-ray machine possibly in 2002;

* Adding women's health as a service;

* Offering pre-employment physicals for students;

* Having the ability to eventually offer some medical services to faculty and staff.

IN ADDRESSING THE need for another doctor, mid-level provider and nurse, Spangler said, "We need to double our capacity to take care of people. We saw 120-130 people a day the second week of classes. We need more providers to take care of all these people."

Spangler and Chapman have recognized MTSU needs to make these improvements in health services.

"Rick is young and energetic. He has a lot of ideas to make improvements and extend services," Spangler said.

With the university recently surpassing the 20,000 mark in student enrollment, Spangler has lofty goals.

"I WANT TO BE as good as UT-Knoxville in the next five years," he said. "I went there (to see what they offer). They have eight doctors for 26,000 undergraduate students. That's the level I'd like to see us reach.

"Our president (Dr. Sidney McPhee) has said he'd like to see the quality of education improve, and I'd like to see that over here."

This fall, health services will offer the measles, mumps and rubella immunization to students for a reduced rate of $20.

ON OCT. 9, health services will offer flu and Meningicoccal meningitis shots in KUC 322 for students, faculty and staff.

A native of Coffee County, Spangler and his wife, Margie, maintain homes in Murfreesboro and Manchester. Their oldest son, Lee, is a Princeton University graduate and works for the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Md. Their youngest son, Nick, is a freshman at MaCalester College in St. Paul, Minn.

OUTSIDE OF THE medical profession, Spangler enjoys a variety of outdoor activities -- hunting, fly fishing, hiking, kayaking, golf and tennis -- and gardening.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Chemistry professor captures national award for conference efforts

BRIGHT HORIZONS--Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, left, shows McNair Program student Freneka Minter the American Chemical Society - Most Innovative Recognition of Women in Chemical Sciences Award for 2000 that was presented Aug. 28 in Chicago at ACS' national meeting. Iriarte-Gross was given the award in honor of her work with the annual Expanding Your Horizons event. photo by Cindy Howell

By Randy Weiler

Just when life grew a little more hectic for Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, a major award made it all seem worthwhile.

Iriarte-Gross, associate professor, chemistry, earned one of the American Chemical Society's Chemluminary Awards. She recently received a Women Chemist Committee honor -- "Most Innovative Recognition of Women in Chemical Sciences Award for 2000" for the Nashville local section.

The award was presented Aug. 28 during ACS' national meeting in Chicago.

"This is a national award from the American Chemical Society so I'm totally tickled by it," Iriarte-Gross said.

She added that the award was earned for her involvement with the Expanding Your Horizons conference during the past four years.

"I've been serious about this (Expanding Your Horizons) all along," Iriarte-Gross said of the conference. "It has been going on since 1996, but we didn't have it at MTSU until 1997."

Efforts to start the conference at MTSU were led by Iriarte-Gross.

"We have a good committee on campus," she said, "and we also work with the Cumberland Valley Girl Scout Council and the American Association of University Women in Murfreesboro. We all contributed to make this a success. It takes a lot of work, but it's well worth it," she said.

Women in both academia and industry supported the 2000 conference, and they prepared and presented hands-on workshops for 150 young women. The workshops included activities on cosmetic chemistry, color and pigments, and materials chemistry.

The year's Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics conference will be held Oct. 13 at MTSU.

In addition to all the chemistry classes she teaches throughout the year, Iriarte-Gross recently accepted the challenge of becoming academic coordinator for the McNair Program.

The McNair Program is a federally funded program by the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to prepare low-income, first-generation college students and students from underrepresented groups in graduate education for doctoral level study.

The program is named in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, an astronaut, who died in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion.

She also will remain involved with Project Seed, another program that she helped bring to the university. Project Seed is a program administered by ACS that offers a unique opportunity for high school students to spend a summer conducting hands-on research with a scientist in a laboratory setting.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Conference to offer look at economic present, future

By Tom Tozer

This year's Economic Outlook Conference, sponsored by MTSU's Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise and Business and Economic Research Center, will again kick off with Dr. Donald Ratajczak, the perennial favorite economic forecaster whose prognostications have been more on target than off in conferences past.

The conference will be held Friday, Oct. 5, in MTSU's Tennessee Room of the James Union Building, with registration and continental breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m., followed by an official welcome by Dr. Jim Burton, business dean, at 9:10 a.m.

Ratajczak, former director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University, a job he held for 27 years, is now retired from GSU and currently holds the title Regent's Professor of Economics Emeritus. In 1994, he received won the Blue Chip award for forecasting accuracy during the four previous years.

Currently he is CEO and chairman of Brainworks Ventures, an enterprise development and asset management company. Ratajczak also consults for Morgan Keegan and writes extensively for economic journals. He is a weekly columnist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and appears frequently on national news programs. The internationally known economist will provide an economic overview of the region and take questions form the audience.

Following Ratajczak, Edsel Charles, president, MHB Inc. d.b.a. MarketGraphics, will discuss the status of the construction industry in Middle Tennessee and the needs of builders and developers. Early in his career he built and sold more than $100 million in new homes. Charles launched MarketGraphics in response to builders and developers who were seeking factual information in order to make good business decisions. He has developed a system of data collection, computer analysis and reporting that has earned the respect of the building industry in every city where MarketGraphics is represented.

Researchers at MarketGraphics collect data by physically driving through new home subdivisions to evaluate the overbuilding and underbuilding of the market. The company also tracks where people are moving and by what price range to identify holes in the markets. In Nashville, for example, MarketGraphics tracks more than 1,200 active new home subdivisions in 12 counties. Charles, a State of Tennessee real estate broker, has received the National Marketing Award, the Gold National Award for Marketing for the Parade of Homes, Builder of the Year Award and Best Development Award.

"The Economic Outlook Conference has become a tradition at MTSU because it delivers what it promises--substance, expertise and an opportunity for business and industry professionals to share common concerns," Burton said. This year's conference is no exception. Anyone who cares about the economic future of our state and region will become more enlightened."

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Championing Jennings A. Jones

If ever there was a true champion of Free Enterprise, Jennings A. Jones is he.

Namesake of MTSU's Jennings A. Jones College of Business, Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise and the more recently established Jennings and Rebecca Jones Chair of Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning, Jones' legacy to the university, Middle Tennessee, and the entire state is legendary.

Jones graduated from UT-Knoxville in 1931, and faced unemployment during the Great Depression. Eventually he came to Murfreesboro as an electrical engineer for the Tennessee Electric Power Company. When that job ended, Jones decided to become his own boss--and he never looked back. He built Jones Locker and Cold Storage System to serve Rutherford County farmers. He became partner and president of Murfreesboro's first ready-to-mix concrete company, which today is Southland Supply Co. Inc.

After serving as a lieutenant colonel in World War II, Jones returned home to chair the city's first planning commission. Utilizing his ability to fly a plane, he drew the first maps of Murfreesboro's subdivisions and recommended where new major roads should be built. He was later appointed to the Tennessee State Planning Commission--and, from 1950 to 1954, served as mayor of Murfreesboro.

Jones and his wife, Rebecca, have contributed time, energy, and financial support to education at all levels. They developed and implemented the EXCEL card, which recognizes and awards area high school students for their achievements. They provided the first Apple computers to Campus, Central Middle, Webb, and Bellwood schools. They helped fund the computerized cataloguing for Webb School's library--and financially assisted Del Rio schools. In addition to providing private funds to establish two Chairs of Excellence at MTSU--and being responsible for securing Ambassador Joe M. Rodgers as holder of the Free Enterprise Chair--the Joneses also gave seed money to help MTSU's department of Geography and Geology purchase Landsat mapping technology.

During this year's Economic Outlook Conference, Friday, Oct. 5, the fourth annual Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award will be presented.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

University Theatre dancers, two faculty take their act on the road

By Lisa Rollins

Gatherings and Celebrations, a suite of eight dances choreographed by Dr. Ann Shea of MTSU's speech and theatre department, will be performed by six members of the MTSU University Dance Theatre, when the dance students trek to Lincoln, Neb., to perform Sept. 20-24.

The Gatherings and Celebrations dance suite is a

crossover project that MTSU dancers and Shea will participate in, as will the Lincoln-based Family Project Dancers (FPD), a group of dancers with varying backgrounds, lives and experiences who share a dedication to the discipline of dance as an art form.

An associate professor and director of MTSU's dance program, Shea said, "Six dancers and myself will be traveling to perform work from the dancers' repertory, and the Nebraska group called the Family Project Dancers will perform a work especially conceived for them by me."

The Gatherings and Celebrations performance will "offer a look into our families' photo albums," Shea said. "The photos we see are timeless and transcend our personal collections of pictures to the larger picture ­ all as a family."

MTSU dance students and faculty who will travel to Nebraska to perform are Maria Luchessi, Vanessa Smith, Melanie Rogers, Shana Light, Cindy Clemons and Alexandra Smith, along with Angela Armstrong, an instructor for MTSU's health, physical education, recreation and safety (HPERS) department, and Shea

First conceived for the FPD in 1997, the upcoming performances of Gatherings and Celebrations will provide "the opportunity for two communities to come together and ... create a special bond. [And] this bond," Shea explained "gives us the chance to accept these daily rituals of dance as a place from which we can risk and experiment. These rituals gives each of us the chance to offer dance to you and each other as a tool of communication that celebrates us all as our communities become more diverse, more global."

For information, call 615-898-2640.

The Record, September 17, 2001, V10.06

Development and university relations staffers garner TARC awards

Several members within the Office of Development and University Relations recently garnered seven honors from the Tennessee Advancement Resources Council (TARC) in the organization's statewide 2001 TARC Awards for their work on behalf of MTSU.

Dr. Linda P. Hare, vice president for development and university relations, said, "These awards reflect the hard work of the entire staff toward enhancing the image of MTSU with all of our constituents. We are fortunate to have such talented people on our team."

Those taking home honors included John Lynch, director of advancement data management, who yielded a first-place award in the category of General Promotional Web Site for his work on behalf of the university's alumni and development web sites, as well as Suma Clark, director of Publications and Graphics (P&G), and Martha Millsaps, P&G editorial assistant, who were awarded first place in the category of General Promotional Material: Brochure/Information Packet.

In addition, Millsaps, Suma Clark and Donna Clark took first-place honors in the General Promotional Material: Annual Report category for their work on "Legacies of the Millennium--The President's Report."

In the General Promotional Material: Video category, Doug Williams, executive director of communications and marketing, was awarded first prize for his work on the "It's all about where you're going" promotional campaign.

Lisa L. Rollins, assistant director for News and Public Affairs (NPA), and Tom Tozer, NPA's media relations director, won first place in the Public Relations: Specific Media Project category for "MTSU On the Record," a weekly public affairs program broadcast Sunday mornings on stations WNRQ-FM 105.9 and WMOT-FM 89.5. Rollins serves as the show's executive producer and she and Tozer share co-host duties.

Rollins and Tozer also garnered a second-place award in the Public Relations: Specific Media Campaign category for their PR efforts for the Jefferson Springs project, sponsored by the English department and University Honors Colleges.