The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

JOIN TEAM MEMBERS IN RELAY FOR LIFE -- MTSU Administrative Services Relay for Life team members, from left, Alan Thomas, Vickie Lewis and Deborah Roberts get ready for the event.

Relay for Life participation holds special meaning

MTSU team joins Rutherford County event June 14

by Randy Weiler

Alan Thomas knows what it’s like to be a cancer survivor. His wife, Kandi, survived cancer three years ago.

Thomas was a caregiver through her yearlong ordeal that eventually included a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and severe complications from the chemotherapy.

That’s why the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life means so much to them.

Kandi Thomas participated in the June 7 Smyrna Relay for Life. Her husband has been a part of the MTSU Administrative Services team that will participate in the Rutherford County Relay for Life from 5 p.m. June 14 to 5 a.m. June 15.

"My wife being a cancer survivor and me a caregiver, it’s close to our hearts," said Thomas, controller, Business Office. "It’s something we want to try to be involved in for a long time.

"The cancer society does a lot of good work … that helps provide cancer research," he added. "Now, we’re on the other side. We’re blessed that God has brought her through this disease and allowed us to get more involved in the cancer society along with other activities."

Kandi Thomas’ mother, Betty Burger of Maryville, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 1999. Burger’s sister also had cancer.

In spring 2000, Thomas decided to have a breast examination. Through several visits, doctors discovered "spots" that had them concerned.

"It was decided that due to her (family) history it would be best to do a double mastectomy," Alan Thomas said, adding that his wife’s oncologist recommended three months of chemotherapy after her surgery. He said she was tired and rundown going into the final round of chemo, but took the treatment anyway based on her oncologist’s recommendation.

"She got sick and had complications from the last treatment, and we ended up going to the emergency room," he said. "She was diagnosed with shingles in the ear that was an infection throwing off her stability and kept us in the hospital for approximately two weeks."

He said the shingles "also attacked a facial nerve, and doctors had to perform surgery to relieve that pressure. She was in there (Baptist Hospital) another four days. … There was a lot of recovery after that, and (all these complications) seemed worse than the cancer surgeries."

The complications included an eye that would not close and vertigo.

"After that, she gradually improved," he said. "We took it a day at a time. We relied on our faith in God to carry us through.

"I hope most people do not have to experience such severe complications," he added. "Her oncologist kept up with what was going on because she had never had a patient with so many complications."

Thomas’ wife resumed working in Nashville and the couple and their 8-year-old daughter, Briana, eventually moved to Murfreesboro from Smyrna.

Thomas and the 23-member MTSU Administrative Services team, led by Deborah Roberts, director of administrative services, in the Office of Vice President for Business and Finance, hope to reach their goal of raising $12,000 for Relay for Life.

As of late May, they had raised more than $10,500 through various events including “Pie in the Face,” “Outback Professionals Day,” craft fairs, “Penny Drive,” stuffed bean doll sales and various hot dog and bake sales. (The third annual Relay for Life craft fair will be held Oct. 11 in Murphy Center. Call Tonna Bowie at 615-898-2536 for more information.)

At least one and possibly two other MTSU teams are raising money and will have camp sites at this year’s Relay for Life, which will feature a luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m. and a Miss Hairy Universe "pageant" at 10 p.m.

A team led by Angela Brown of the College of Education and Behavioral Science will participate, said Brown, who has participated in Relay for Life when she lived in Ohio. The Greek organization Pi Kappa Alpha also is expected to compete.

For more information about Relay for Life, contact Brenda Wunder at 615-904-8240.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

JONES READING ACADEMY SET FOR JUNE 16-JULY 3 AT BRADLEY

Murfreesboro City and Rutherford County elementary school teachers will enhance their skills as reading instructors in the Jennings and Rebecca Jones Reading Academy, “Camp-Read-A Lot,” on June 16-July 3 at Bradley Elementary School.

Teachers will receive instruction in diagnosis and remediation of reading difficulties for K-5 children. Teachers will work one-on-one with students for a minimum of eight 4-hour days.

Dr. Nancy Crews, associate professor, elementary and special education, serves as academy director. For information or to enroll, call 615-898-5630 or go to www.mtsu.edu/~readacad.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

APPLICATION DEADLINE AHEAD ON JULY 1 FOR FALL SEMESTER

New and re-enrolling undergraduate students who plan to attend MTSU this fall must have their applications submitted and/or postmarked by July 1. For information, call 615-898-2111.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

MTSU IS ONCE AGAIN THE TOP CHOICE FOR HIGH ACHIEVERS

In an independent survey of 378 mid-state high school valedictorians and salutatorians, MTSU attracted more top-ranked students than any

university in the state for the seventh straight year.

MTSU was the No. 1 choice of 13 percent of the students. Tennessee

Technological University finished second with 11 percent. The University of Tennessee finished third with 10 percent. Vanderbilt University finished fourth with 6 percent. The Tennessean survey included students from 142 public and private high schools in 37 counties in Middle Tennessee.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

Continuing studies changes with time

Put 25 team members, 17 student workers and nearly 20 board members on one campus.

Combine this with scores of correspondence courses, telecourses, off-campus sites, online courses, videoconferencing and Regents Online Degree Program courses. Blend the mixture with evening and summer school, as well as with noncredit courses and conferences. Stir vigorously.

Add some partnerships and workforce development. Repeat as needed.

So goes the recipe for MTSU’s Division of Continuing Studies and Public Service (CSPS).

The division of CSPS is now in its 40th year at MTSU, and the division is embracing the 21st century with optimism and a seriousness of purpose. The past 40 years have witnessed both a dramatic increase in technology, with all of its wonder and challenges, and, at the same time, a decrease in the distance among all humans on the planet brought about by that same technology.

As a result, we launched a reorganized division Web site last year. This new site is a one-stop shop for any student’s CSPS needs, and it positions the entire division as a high-tech participant in the marketplace. Organized around the division’s services, the site serves (at least) three functions. First, it allows the staff to serve its customers—the students—by posting such information as catalogs, schedules, bulletins, online forms and much more. Second, the site allows the staff to create an online community built around courses, conferences and other division events. And third, the site’s level of quality and functionality provides a professional presentation to the business community.

In addition, this new online tool serves as a hub between our division personnel and each individual and organization with which we have partnered in the workforce. These include on-campus partnerships with the Department of Recording Industry, WMOT-FM and the School of Nursing, as well as with 30 external partnerships that span medical facilities, automobile manufacturers, radio stations, boards of education, public and private schools, city governments, newspapers, bookstores and much more.

A key link between our division and the workforce remains our own board of directors. The board promotes programs and services that facilitate the division’s mission of extending the resources of the university to enhance the quality of life of the people in our community, region and beyond—including the workforce and business communities. Our board remains nearly 20 members strong, and it helps us form and shape our mission.

A portion of our division is charged with being self-supporting; however, we have known that to create and maintain quality programs, external support is needed. In response, the noncredit personnel are changing to become more focused on business, building relationships with members of the business, medical and technology communities. And these division personnel have been reassigned to the following audiences with revenue generation in mind: 1) business; 2) medical and health services; 3) technology, government and industry; and 4) education, languages, test prep and writing.

To help our staff while out in the field, our team members have worked to conceptualize and create new marketing materials. Foremost among these is our new business folder. Many people throughout our organization have spent a concentrated effort on improving our image in the workforce, and our new business folder puts a professional face on our division.

This new product contains detailed information on what we offer, as well as some things we can offer upon request, including customized training in the workplace, AchieveGlobal Training (formerly Zenger-Miller) and on-demand conferences and summer conventions. More than a dozen state, public and private organizations and groups allow our division to handle all aspects of the groups’ yearly events.

As everyone in the division works toward the university’s goals in the months and years to come, we will do so in a spirit of teamwork and entrepreneurship, looking forward to the challenges and successes that we will encounter from semester to semester.

Roy Burkhead is a coordinator in the Division of Continuing Studies and Public Service.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

Historic press to be built

$7K grant makes Ben Franklin replica possible here

by Doug Williams

MTSU will soon be one of a handful of universities with a fully operational replica of Ben Franklin’s 18th century printing press through a recent $7,000 grant from the Special Projects Committee of the MTSU Foundation.

The James E. Walker Library and the Book Arts Program at MTSU were awarded the grant to construct the press. The historic replica will be constructed by university craftsmen.

The project will be a partnership between the library, Book Arts, Facilities Services, Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies and Audio Visual Services.

Don Craig, library dean, said the project will be a significant addition to the university’s collections.

"The wooden press significantly shaped over 400 years of Western history, but there are too few who know about its history and use," Craig said. "This project provides us with a significant opportunity to bring a bit of publishing history to our students and to the community as well."

Construction will take place in stages and will be based upon plans by Elizabeth Harris and Clinton Sisson, who worked with the Smithsonian Museum to analyze Franklin’s original press. The press will be designed so that it can be conveniently disassembled, transported and re-assembled for printing demonstrations. The book press will be an important educational resource not only for the university, but for other schools in the community, too.

It will also offer a rare opportunity for students in the Book Arts Program, attracting to campus nationally known visiting lecturers on the history of the book as well as prominent book artists, Craig said. The press can be integrated into advanced undergraduate and graduate courses to show how literary texts were presented to their original readers. Additional money will be necessary to create a documentary film and finish the project, said William Black, Administrative Services librarian. Individuals interested in learning more about the project or assisting should contact Black at 615-898-2772 or at wblack@mtsu.edu.

In addition to the Franklin press, the MTSU Foundation also provided a $3,000 grant to Dr. Shelley Thomas, associate professor, foreign languages and literatures, to start the MTSU Summer Language Institute.

There are about 30,000 Hispanic and Asian students enrolled in Tennessee public schools, Thomas said. The influx of non-native speakers in this country means there are more community services with employees who find themselves linguistically handicapped to provide those services.

The program will teach Spanish to 30 English as a Second Language (ESL) and foreign language teachers from Murfreesboro city schools, eight different states and two different countries.

The institute will take place June 9-13 on the MTSU campus. For more details, call 615-898-5757.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

SOLAR BIKERAYCE CHAMPS—Team members gather with their solar bike included Justin Raines, kneeling left, driver John Emler and Keith Melton; and Kyle Hooper, back left, Rick Taylor, Ken Garrett and faculty adviser Dr. Saeed Foroudastan. photo provided

Solar BikeRayce team remains No. 1

Students compete in recent event in Kansas

by Randy Weiler

A MTSU Solar BikeRayce team has reclaimed No. 1 status in the nation after a two-year absence.

Faculty adviser Dr. Saeed Foroudastan’s team finished first in its S-Class category for both the sprint and 100-kilometer race during the recent Solar BikeRayce USA 2003 in Topeka, Kan.

"The students were determined to accept no less than first place and were not slowed by the many challenges that arose throughout the competition," Foroudastan, associate professor, ETIS, said.

"Not only did MTSU’s Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies students prove their capabilities to build a solar bike that displayed both speed and endurance, but also aesthetic properties that could not be matched by any other solar bike on the course," he added.

Led by adviser Ken Sergeant, associate professor, ETIS, MTSU took first place in the 2000 adult S-Class and Best Team Spirit award. Sergeant’s 2003 team wasn’t able to finish its solar bike in time for this year’s competition, but he said he and his students plan to have it ready for the 2004 event.

MTSU won the 34-lap, 100-K sprint with the highest speed time, Foroudastan said.

"Our previous record for this portion of the competition has been only 21 laps," Foroudastan said. "The record was shattered, as this year’s students successfully completed 33 laps in under three hours."

MTSU came close to tying another school’s record of completing 34 laps in under three hours.

"That goal was just barely out of reach this year, but our students are certain they will make it next year as they plan to compete with two solar bikes," Foroudastan said.

After the sprint, the students realized one of the sprockets had been damaged, he said.

"We searched the whole town trying to find a replacement for the part," he said. "Team members stayed in the pit until 1 a.m. to fix it. A test run revealed that the engine wasn’t running properly. An inspection indicated that there were pieces of metal that got in the engine from grinding the sprocket."

Team members stayed up all night fixing the problem. They rushed back to their hotel to shower and return to the track. Later, their efforts were rewarded after being named the overall first-place winner.

MTSU was led by team leader Ken Garrett, co-captains John Emler and Keith Melton; team members Justin Raines, Kyle Hooper, Tanya McLaughlin; student Josh Kline "and all the others who participated," Foroudastan said.

Foroudastan, who also had students place fourth in the nation at the 10th annual Great Moonbuggy Race at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., in April, wanted to thank the following for their support: Drs. Tom Cheatham, dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences; Gene Fitch, associate dean, Student Life; Walter Boles, chairman, ETIS; and Ron McBride, professor, ETIS; and Rick Taylor, machinist laboratory technician, ETIS; and Anita Hermes, executive aide, ETIS.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

University breaks ground on $1M Hall of Fame facility June 19

by Doug Williams

The university will break ground on a new Blue Raider Hall of Fame facility at 4:30 p.m. June 19 in the grassy area between Floyd Stadium and the Greenland Drive parking lot.

The new building was made possible by a $1 million gift by Emmett and Rose Kennon. Emmett N. Kennon is a 1938 graduate who lettered in football and baseball and is a member of the Blue Raider Athletic Hall of Fame. He served three years as the sports editor for the Sidelines student newspaper and was editor of the Midlander in 1938.

An active member and former president (1993) of the Varsity Club, Kennon lettered on the 1937 Blue Raider football team that went 6-1-1 under Coach Johnny "Red" Floyd.

"For me, this building is a dream come true," Kennon said. "It's impossible for me to put into words the feelings that I have for this institution; so making the Blue Raider Hall of Fame a reality is my way of expressing them. I am thrilled that this project is under way."

The facility will have three major areas: exhibits area, meeting hall and exterior gathering porch. The meeting hall, which has an 18-foot ceiling, will seat 200-plus people. The exhibit area will hold artifacts and photographs of MTSU’s sports history.

A south-facing porch can accommodate game-day gatherings and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Administrative offices and support spaces comprise the balance of the main floor with a conference room and space for a future archives area on the upper mezzanine of the proposed 7,400 square-foot building.

The exterior of the building is a balanced composition of stainless steel columns, brick walls complementary in color to those used in building the adjacent Murphy Center, and glass window walls. The north-facing window is proposed to be a mural of sports figures celebrating the achievements of student athletes and coaches at MTSU.

"We have been planning this building for a long time to make sure it was done the right way," said James "Boots" Donnelly, MTSU athletic director. "This newest addition to our athletic facilities will be something for all Blue Raiders past and present to be very proud of."

The groundbreaking event will begin a two-day celebration of Blue Raider athletics. The annual Hall of Fame induction banquet will take place at 6:30 p.m. June 19 at the Garden Plaza/Doubletree. The induction ceremony is also open to the public, and tickets are available in the ticket office for $25.

On the following day, a golf tournament and barbecue lunch will be held for Varsity Club members at Indian Hills Golf Club. The tournament will feature two tee times and will cost $60 for golf and lunch.

The Hall of Fame groundbreaking is open to the public. Parking will be available in the Greenland Drive lot.

For more information, contact Jim Simpson at 615-898-5632.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

ALUMNI PROFILE

Graduate hosts students in Scotland this summer

DISPLAYING SCOTTISH HERITAGE—MTSU Graduate Hope Vere Anderson, left, and John Mauldin demonstrate their Scottish heritage by wearing kilts.

by Gina Logue

Scottish landowner and part-time Murfreesboro resident Hope Vere Anderson will regale some 40 MTSU students with folklore and history at his homestead this summer.

Anderson, 44, who graduated from MTSU in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in education, said the students' July 1 visit could foreshadow a partnership that would foster more excursions to his native land.

"We're thoroughly looking forward to it, and we hope that it's going to be the beginning of a great educational and cultural relationship with Middle Tennessee and Scotland,” Anderson said.

Anderson is involved with the Edinburgh College of Art and serves on the board of Creighton University. He said that he'd like to see this year's day trip to his estate blossom into a "sister" relationship between MTSU and a Scottish institution, possibly Creighton.

"I understand that the president (MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee), being an international scholar himself, is very keen to see MTSU have a sort of international reputation,” Anderson said.

The Scot's love affair with America began when he accompanied his father on trips to Murfreesboro to conduct business. The young Anderson, deciding that the best way to gain entry was on a student visa, enrolled at MTSU. He said he was struck by the relative absence of what he calls the "academic elitism" of British higher education.

"I was impressed with how the professors in this country were sort of on the side of the student," Anderson mused. "You know, they tried to assist the student to get past the course, make a good grade and, eventually, get a degree.

"I think many people in Britain sometimes take themselves too seriously. The Americans have a more open view and approach to things, and, I think, at the end of the day, they get the job done, and they're just as accomplished and they get it done in a more relaxed way," Anderson said.

A scholar of Scottish history, as well as art and antiques, Anderson also serves as a consultant to the Heart of Tennessee Scottish Association Games, which will be held for the eighth year at MTSU the first weekend in October.

Sandra Mauldin, secretary to the games, said Anderson is "the one relied upon to make sure things are done." Citing the Scot's hospitable nature, Maudlin said the students "will get the trip of their lifetime over there. He knows Scotland and everybody, I think, in Scotland."

In 1997, Anderson staged an unsuccessful campaign for Parliament as a Conservative Party candidate, losing to a Liberal Party opponent. But Anderson professes a certain pride in British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a Labor Party member, for standing with President Bush on the war in Iraq.

If there's a similarity between American and British politics, Anderson said, it's the prominence of career politicians and the absence of public servants from a wide variety of life experiences.



The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

FINDING OUT ABOUT MTSU—New student Shannon Beels from Bell Buckle studies materials during one of the recent CUSTOMS sessions. The orientation sessions began in May and continue this summer for freshmen and transfer students.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

TEACHING FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE -- Dr. Jan Quarles, new assistant dean in the College of Mass Communication, continues to teach classes. Above, she teaches students in her"Global News and World Media Cultures" classes. Quarles brings her own experience in world media to students at MTSU.

Experiencing the world

Quarles’ background enhances classes for media students

by Angela Cannon Hayes

New assistant dean Dr. Jan Quarles uses her expertise and experience with the international media to educate future journalists in the College of Mass Communication.

Once an educator in Australia, Quarles, professor, electronic media communication, was named a Fellow for the recent worldwide Salzburg Seminar, where she participated in discussions with 40 educators and journalists worldwide.

Now, MTSU students are benefiting from that experience.

In addition to her new duties as assistant dean, Quarles continues to teach students in a class called "Global News and World Media Cultures."

The position of assistant dean was made possible by a released time arrangement with MTSU’s Department of Electronic Media Communication, said Dr. Anantha S. Babbili, dean, MTSU College of Mass Communication.

Quarles said she divides her time between teaching and her duties as assistant dean.

"We want to successfully complete our accreditation and develop more international aspects of our college," she said. "We’re in a world where that international reach is vital."

Through a scholarship, she was selected to attend the "Professional Responsibility in the News Media" session of the Salzburg Seminar in Austria on March 19-26.

While attending the seminar, the war with Iraq began.

Her colleagues at the seminar were from nations that supported both sides of the conflict.

Despite the war, conflicts didn’t exist among the participants in the seminar, Quarles said.

"Everybody was professional and mindful of intellectual diversity," she said. "Our discussions, while intense, built bridges."

The purpose of the seminar was to provide a neutral setting for discussion of the issues facing journalists today, she said.

"We were able to talk about so many heated issues in a calm way," Quarles said of discussions such as those of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

She remains in contact with all of her colleagues from the seminar through email.

Seminar participants included: Frank Sesno, a former CNN correspondent and vice president; Yasser Thabet, a broadcast editor from Al-Jazeera; Bob Giles of Harvard University; and journalists and educators from eastern Europe and western Europe, India, Iran, the Philippines, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, Africa and China.

"The seminar was the most intensive and gratifying educational experience I've ever had in my academic career," Quarles said. "It was life-changing for me."

The seminar began in the late 1940s to increase dialogue on many topics between Americans and Europeans, and it has grown to include people from many countries, she said.

Quarles’ interest and experience in international media is one of the many reasons she was selected as assistant dean, Babbili said.

During Quarles’ three-year term as assistant dean, her responsibilities will include preparation for, and assessment of, the national accreditation of the college programs by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC); overseeing the institutional effectiveness and ongoing assessment; and internationalization of the college curricula, Babbili said.

"In the area of developing curricula with an international focus, Dr. Quarles brings to us her teaching and research experience in Australia and Asia," Babbili said. "She is widely traveled and believes passionately in the importance of being global in our professions. She personally developed courses to be taught in the U.K. and in Asia."

Prior to her arrival at MTSU in 1994, Quarles said she served as an administrator and teacher at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia for 6 1/2 years after receiving a post-doctoral Fulbright Scholarship in 1988. A Jefferson City, Tenn., native, she received her degrees from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

"Dr. Quarles' extensive contacts in the field and her ability to keep up with the changes in accrediting standards and in curriculum demands make her ideal for our choice of the assistant dean," Babbili said.

"She has a distinguished record of involvement with the ACEJMC accreditation processes," Babbili said. "In the past, her skills of assessment were utilized by the accrediting body at other major universities. Only 5 percent of schools in mass communication around the country are accredited. MTSU is one of them. We need to maintain and nurture our distinctive status in accreditation. I cannot think of anyone who is more experienced. She will serve us well in this area."

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

University’s ‘shining stars’ recognized at reception

by Courtney Grimes

More than 200 university staff members saw four employees recognized as special "shining stars of the university" at the 2003 MTSU Employee Recognition Award Reception May 14.

The university recognized 36 staff members as "shining stars"—17 classified, 13 administrative, two technical/service and four in the secretarial/clerical category. One employee from each category was chosen as Employee of the Year and received an engraved glass trophy and a $1,000 bonus from the MTSU Foundation.

"I am thrilled and pleased to receive the Classified Employee of the Year Award," said Margie Hardin, secretary in the Department of Public Safety." I love MTSU and consider it an honor and privilege to work at this great university.”

Other winners included Kenneth Buggs, energy services, who received the 2003 Technical/Service Employee of the Year Award; Michael Wolf, information technology, who received the Administrative Employee of the Year Award; and Janet Estes, development and university relations, who received the Secretarial/Clerical Award.

President Sidney A. McPhee greeted each employee as they approached the stage to receive their award and added that the theme of the reception, "shining stars," clearly fit each employee. In his remarks, McPhee stated that he felt MTSU employees were "like family" and conveyed his gratitude for the hard work and dedication to all employees.

The Employee Recognition Award Reception is part of the Employee Recognition Program and acknowledges employees who make outstanding contributions to the university. The reception was sponsored by Human Resource Services and the Employee Recognition Program Committee. Members included: Diane Turnham, Jana Hinz, Lynn Palmer, Kippy Todd, Denise Hollowell, Mike Wolf, Janet Kelly and Linda Pellegrini. Turnham, last year’s Administrative Employee of the Year, chaired the committee.

Nominees for the various awards are nominated by fellow employees of MTSU.

For more information or nomination forms for the Employee Recognition Programs, go to the HRS Web site and click on "Employee Relations" or go directly to www.mtsu.edu/~hrs/er/recog.html.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

Magazine features Students

by Randy Weiler

MTSU mathematics students Leann Hooge, Keeley Hutchison and Ileah McKee and their faculty member, Dr. Ginger Holmes Rowell, can add something to their resumes.

They were the cover story in STATS, The Magazine for Students of Statistics, in the Winter 2003 (issue No. 36 edition).

Hooge, Hutchison, McKee and Rowell contributed to an article — "Student Perspectives from the Joint Statistical Meetings" — after attending the Joint Statistical Meetings last August in New York. Rowell said the students assisted her with her research and presentation titled "Strategies for Assessing Technologies" that was presented at a JSM panel discussion on statistical education.

"The students benefited greatly from attending the conference," Rowell, associate professor, mathematics, said, "from a professional development standpoint and seeing people teach statistics and using statistics in a professional application."

"They were invited by the editors to write an article from their perspective," Rowell added. "We submitted a photo taken at the conference because they run pictures of the authors with the article. But they had no idea it was going to be on the cover until they received it."

Rowell said McKee wrote about her conference experience from a current undergraduate math student perspective, Hutchison from a current graduate student perspective, and Hooge from the perspective of being a 2002 master of science in teaching graduate and a current secondary education math teacher.

The article begins with a forward by Rowell "concerning what students could expect while attending an annual national statistics meeting and why it would be both an academically and professionally rewarding experience for them," she said.

"MTSU’s students wrote from three different student levels and provided first-hand perspectives about their conference experiences and how it influenced their understanding and appreciation for statistics and its applications in the world today," Rowell added.

"The deadline was in October, so they learned about writing quickly and rewriting," Rowell said. "They had to make corrections. They got feedback from the editors and worked on it some more."

For more information, contact Rowell (rowell@mtsu.edu) at 615-898-5540.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

Voice students receive top honors during competition

Event memorializes Tennessee native Grace Moore

by Lisa L. Rollins

MTSU students Sharon Edwards of Shelbyville and Deanna Wright of Tullahoma recently took first- and second-place honors, respectively, in the biennial Grace Moore Memorial Scholarship Competition held at MTSU.

Edwards, a junior voice performance major, won $1,500 prize money and Wright, a senior voice performance major, won $500. Moreover, following Edwards’ win in the April 26 contest, she was invited to perform at the Tennessee Federation of Music Clubs Convention in Franklin May 17.

Dr. Christine Isley-Farmer, voice professor and competition chairwoman, said Edwards will use her prize winnings to attend the AIMS institute in Graz, Austria, this summer, while Wright will apply her prize money toward tuition at Mannes College of Music in New York City, where she plans to attend graduate school.

The scholarship competition was established in honor of Tennessee native Grace Moore, who had an operatic career and sang for the New York Metropolitan Opera. The contest was open to anyone between the ages of 20 and 30 who was born in Tennessee, regardless of his or her current state of residence.

Regarding the competition, Isley-Farmer said, "Contestants had to prepare three operatic arias in the original languages. (And) criteria for winning the competition (was) based on operatic potential."

Judges for this year’s competition were Dr. Keith Moore, professor of voice at Belmont University; Dr. Linda Ferreira, professor of voice at Tennessee Technological University; and Dr. Rebecca St. Goar, University of Chattanooga (UC) Foundation professor of music.

For more information on the Grace Moore Scholarship Competition or this year’s winners, contact Isley-Farmer at 615-898-2479.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

Insurance golf tournament raises more than $25K for scholarships

by Tom Tozer

The 19th annual Tommy Martin Chair of Insurance Golf Tournament, recently held at Champions Run Golf Course near Rockvale, netted more than $25,000 for insurance scholarships and other services for the 115 insurance majors and minors at MTSU.

This set a new record for money generated from the insurance outing.

"It was a tremendous success," said Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of the Martin chair, "and we are grateful for the support of the community and the insurance industry for our students."

The event drew 154 players and 79 hole sponsors, Hollman said.

The first-place team, representing State Farm Insurance Companies, was composed of Lee Baumann, David Drewry, Kevin Gannon, Craig Hamby, Drew Jones and Jim Maynard.

"The insurance golf tournament is the major fund-raiser for the Martin chair," said Martin Moseley, one of the tournament organizers.

"Over the years, the event has raised more than $300,000,” Moseley said.

About 145 students are enrolled in insurance classes at MTSU, which represents a surge in enrollment, Hollman said, adding that 52 scholarships were awarded this past year, and several students are doing internships this summer.

He attributes much of the growth and success of the academic program to his colleagues, Dr. Emily Zietz, associate professor, economics and finance, and Porter Nelms.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

FAMILIES ENJOY MTSU—Dalton Booker, 5, son of Dr. Heidi Altman, assistant professor, sociology and anthropology, enjoys the MTSU Recreation Center’s climbing wall.

The Record, June 9, 2003, V11.23>>Top of Page

NEW DEVELOPMENT BUILDING HAS BEEN COMPLETED—This new building houses the Office of the Vice President for Development and University Relations as well as the Office of Development and Advancement Services. Staff members have already begun moving into the new facility. The new building is called Wood-Stegall Center. The new facility is located just inside the main entrance of the campus from East Main Street. The building is located on the same site where the Earthman house once stood.