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  December 3, 2007, V16.12
1,400+ to receive degrees at fall commencement
by Lisa L. Rollins
More than 1,400 degree candidates are expected to graduate during MTSU's 96th fall commencement ceremonies, reports Dr. Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services.
On Saturday, Dec. 15, MTSU again will feature dual ceremonies and dual speakers starting at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Murphy Center. Of the 1,489 set to graduate, 1,289 are undergraduates and 200 are graduate students, including 187 master's candidates, 10 education specialist degree candidates and three doctoral candidates.
Candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business, and College of Education and Behavioral Science will receive their degrees in the morning ceremony. That afternoon, degrees will be conferred on candidates in the Colleges of Basic and Applied Sciences, Liberal Arts, Mass Communication, and Continuing Education and Distance Learning, said Dr. Jack Thomas, senior vice provost for academic affairs and chairman of the commencement committee.
Gregg F. Morton, who serves as president of AT&T Tennessee, will be the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. A native of Aiken, S.C., he was appointed to his current post in September after most recently serving as president of AT&T South Carolina.
One of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and the largest in the United States, AT&T Inc. operates globally under the AT&T brand.
An administrative management graduate of Clemson University and former chairman of the school's board of visitors, Morton began his telecommunications career nearly three decades ago with BellSouth in South Carolina as a manager in Charleston before going to Washington, D.C., as director of legislative affairs in the 1980s. He returned to Columbia, S.C., in the 1990s, where he was promoted to BellSouth liaison to the U.S. Telecom Association.
In addition to his most recent accomplishments, Morton was AT&T's Washington-based vice president of legislation and chief of staff for government relations and is a former chairman of the Board of Regents for Leadership South Carolina.
Dr. Viola Miller, who was appointed commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services in December 2003, will be the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. ceremony. A veteran child-welfare administrator, Miller is the former secretary of families and children for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Having dedicated much of her professional career to serving children and youth in various capacities, Miller--prior to her tenure as Kentucky's secretary for families and children--served as dean of Murray State University's Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach. She also has an academic background in special education and speech therapy.
Miller received a bachelor's degree in speech and hearing therapy from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., in 1964 and a master's in speech pathology and audiology from Tulane University in 1966. She later completed a residency at Duke University Medical Center in medical speech pathology. In 1978, she earned a Doctor of Education degree in special education from the University of Alabama.
Thomas said the commencement committee wanted to remind all degree candidates of the importance of appropriate dress, decorum and respect for the Dec. 15 ceremonies.
"We believe this is a very important day in the lives of many people," Thomas said. "Commencement is a day that families always remember as special. It is difficult to give the ceremony the dignified atmosphere it deserves if people are using air horns or leaving before the completion of the ceremony."
The graduation committee also has emphasized that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for the entire ceremony. Each ceremony should last about two hours. Candidates planning celebration activities should be aware of this commitment, Thomas said.
On Dec. 15, the doors to Murphy Center will open at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony, and candidates are expected to be in their assigned areas, dressed in their caps and gowns, no later than 8:30 a.m. For the afternoon ceremony, the doors will open at noon, and candidates are expected to be in their assigned areas and ready at 12:30 p.m.
For more information about commencement, please visit www.mtsu.edu, click on "A to Z Index" and choose "Commencement" under the C listings. The site includes instructions for graduates, cap-and-gown and photo information, maps to the ceremony site and more.
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Celebrate new grads' alumni status at commencement reception
The MTSU National Alumni Association will host a commencement reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, honoring the December 2007 graduating class.
Graduating seniors and their families are invited to the MTSU Alumni House at 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd. to be welcomed as new members of the alumni association. Students also will have the opportunity to introduce their families to their favorite professors, advisers and staff members before the next day's ceremonies.
No RSVP is required to attend the commencement reception, which also will include refreshments. Business casual attire is recommended.
All faculty, staff and advisers are invited to attend and congratulate the newest graduates.
For more information, contact the Alumni Office at 1-800-533-6878 or visit online at www.mtalumni.com.
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Library making memories with project
by Gina K. Logue
Officials at the James E. Walker Library at MTSU are embarking on a program to convert the heirlooms of the university's past into accessible digital images in preparation for the school's centennial in 2011 and beyond.
The librarians and students who will work on the MTSU Memory Project seek to collect photographs, correspondence, memorabilia and other items from the campus community and the community at large.
"I think our first priority will be the lower-hanging fruit, the photographs, documents," Ken Middleton, associate professor at the Walker Library, says. "But I'm hoping as the centennial comes closer that we can include some audio from oral history interviews, for instance, and I'm hoping that some video, some old home movies, will come up from private collections."
Key categories of special interest to the archivists include the founding of the institution, World War I, women's suffrage, the Great Depression and the New Deal era, World War II and the G.I. Bill, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and women's issues, including Title IX, the June Anderson Women's Center and the Women's Studies Program.
The Memory Project is an outgrowth of the statewide Volunteer Voices Project, a consortial endeavor supported by a $1.8 million grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. With $5,000 from the MTSU Foundation, project managers will pay a graduate assistant to be a liaison to the campus for soliciting materials.
"We are devoting a small percentage of each of four librarians' time to the project ... and we will also be diverting a little bit of student-worker funds to have some additional student help," says Mayo Taylor, library team leader for access services.
The point person on all things cyberspace will be Fagdéba Bakoyéma, whose experience setting up digital libraries in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and work as a digital imaging specialist with the Indiana University Digital Library Program will serve the project well.
"I will be working with everybody, helping make decisions on what to select, especially the technical aspect of it, which is determining specifications of images and digital objects and how to have them displayed correctly," BakoyŽma says.
Using ContentDM software, BakoyŽma will establish a Web site that will be accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. A searchable database geared toward keywords will put users in touch with images of the artifacts they seek.
Taylor notes that ContentDM allows copyright status to be set item-by-item, and that each contributor of materials will be able to specify the wording for a statement about reproduction rights.
"Most of what we get from the university is going to be copyright-free because it's public property," Taylor says. "So there is no problem with displaying a low-resolution image, but campus departments will be able to decide about access to high-resolution copies."
The Albert Gore Sr. Research Center, the university's major repository of historical information and artifacts, will be a substantial part of the Memory Project.
"Dr. [Lisa] Pruitt (Gore Center director) has been very cooperative, and we do know that they have a lot of material over there," Taylor says. "Exactly what we'll be able to bring over and get digitized, we're not sure."
However, the archivists are not content to look in every nook and cranny of the campus itself. If it's in an attic, a piano bench or a living room bookshelf, the librarians want to make a digital image of it and preserve it for all time.
For more information, contact Middleton at 615-898-8524 or kmiddlet@mtsu.edu or Taylor at 615-898-5605 or taylomr@mtsu.edu. Information also is available at http://library.mtsu.edu/digitalprojects.
Photo page 5 |
ATTENTION!--Digitizing photos like this 1940s-era snapshot of the Eleventh College Training Detachment, shown here on what's now Walnut Grove, will be part of the Walker Library's new "Memory Project." MTSU's history includes offering Army, Navy, and Marine reserve classes under contract with the federal government during World War II. From the first of 1943 until the last CTD class left in July 1944, women resided three to a room in Rutledge Hall, leaving Lyon Hall, shown in the background, for the military. Large crowds enjoyed watching the cadets' Sunday dress parades and drills.
Photo courtesy of the Albert Gore Research Center |
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Photo page 1 |
'How Sweet It Is!'
SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY--Elementary education majors join Hunter and Linette McFarlin, front row center, Rutherford County Books from Birth area coordinators, and their daughter Esther to celebrate the students' "How Sweet It Is!" $500 bake-sale fundraising effort for the literacy program. Two dozen students participated; those attending the celebration included, from front row left, Theresa Sander, Tara Lowery and Melissa James; second row, Nichole Correll, Drew Colwell, Lana Nichols and Ashley Lanning; third row, Amanda Max-well, Summer Hoffman, Mallorie Newberry and Erin Kemp; fourth row, Laurie James, Heather Knight and Beth Travis; back row, faculty co-adviser Dr. Beverly Boulware, Jennifer Butler and Aaron Nuell. Not pictured are co-adviser Lucie Murphy and Dr. Gloria Bonner.
photo by News & Public Affairs |
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
'One Laptop Per Child': EMC lends a hand, hopes to learn
by Gina E. Fann
A child in a developing nation and a student in MTSU's Department of Electronic Media Communication soon will be gazing at a shiny new computer screen and thinking the same thought: "What can I do with this?"
That's the hope, at least, of the department, as its members await delivery of the sturdy, unique laptop computers they pooled their funds to donate to the One Laptop Per Child program.
The Cambridge, Mass.-based organization, with a goal of eradicating world poverty through education, is running a $400 "Give One Get One" special through Dec. 31 to encourage donors to provide one of its colorful, simple computers to a child in Libya, Uruguay or Rwanda, three nations who are early adopters of the project.
In return, the donor will receive an identical computer to use as he or she wishes. Mass production just got under way, and distribution could begin by Christmas.
"We've been talking about it for two years and now it's finally reality," says Dr. Bob Spires, EMC professor and the instigator of the plan. "It's a great humanitarian opportunity for the department, plus we'll be able to analyze and use the laptop we get as part of our ongoing internationalization efforts.
"We'll get to analyze the latest technology for $200. You can't beat that."
The mission of One Laptop Per Child is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child.
"A computer designed for Western office environments simply won't be able to withstand the conditions found in much of Africa, Asia and South America," said Walter Bender, OLPC president of software and content. "Further, children engaged in learning have a different set of needs from a laptop than an office worker."
The OLPC's XO-1 laptop is the size of a textbook and weighs about three pounds. Everything is scaled to fit a child, from the integrated handle to the sealed, rubberized, water- and dust-proof keyboard. The XO-1 has its own power supply and can use numerous alternative power sources, including a pull cord, a solar panel or a solar-powered multi-battery charger at the user's school.
It uses the Linux open-source operating system to run its simple, graphic commands, making it independent of the more commonly used Windows and Macintosh systems and more flexible for its young users.
"It can accommodate word processing, games, the Internet, math--it's really something," says Spires. "It's all symbol-driven with universally recognized signs. They deliberately tried to design it that way for non-English-speaking users. The keyboard is in English, but they can put any language overlay on it they want."
Once the EMC's new OLPC laptop arrives on campus, Spires says, the department plans to use it in honors and global studies classes to let students get a feel for it and determine its international potential for the university.
"We can assign it to a digital media class, for example, for a semester and say, 'All right, you discover a new way to use this.' And they will," he says. "We also figure that user groups are going to be popping up with brand-new ideas very soon, and we want to be in those groups and see where it's headed."
Finding a new use for the OLPC laptop could even lead to the department seeking and receiving a grant to take that new use into one of the OLPC countries, Spires says.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm in the department already for this project," he adds, "and I see that we're going to have to put it on a rotation basis so everybody gets a chance to work with it. We'll have some 'brainstorming sessions' with both students and faculty where I know we'll all be saying, 'What about this? Can we do that with it? How about this?'
"This is a very, very optimistic project for me, and I'm a very skeptical person, so you can see what an impact it can have. Ultimately, we'll be teaching our students a broader world view, which is our goal."
For more information about the OLPC project, or to arrange your own donation, visit www.laptop.org.
Photo page 2 |
EACH ONE TEACH ONE--The XO-1 laptop, shown above, created by the One Laptop One Child program, is being mass-produced for distribution by year's end. Its monitor screen pivots for different uses, as do its rubber-coated Wi-Fi antennas.
photo courtesy www.laptop.org |
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
IN BRIEF
EMPLOYEE GIVING UPDATE
MTSU's generous employees have broken yet another record, donating more than $80,220 so far in the 2007 Employee Charitable Giving Campaign. Read the Jan. 14 edition of The Record for the final totals, and visit www.mtsu.edu/givemtsu now for a list of prizewinners. Prizes may be picked up in Cope 207; call 615-898-2828 for more information.
JOIN BIGGEST WINNERS IN '08
MTSU's Weight Watchers at Work members invite newcomers to join them on their journey to good health: they've lost 1,200 pounds since January 2007! A new 10-week session begins Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in the Ingram Building. For more information and to join the winners, contact Karen Milstead at kmilstea@mtsu.edu.
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
FOR THE RECORD:
International student celebrates 'gift' of education
by Mary Kamel
Have you ever thought about what it takes for an international student to come to America for a college education? If not, you're probably not alone, but I know firsthand what it takes.
As an international student studying at MTSU, I am dedicated to succeeding in school and grateful to have the opportunity to choose the career of my choice and study in the United States. Many people, however, do not know how valuable such opportunities are, since they never experienced a life that presented them with many opportunities.
In the world today, there are so many different cultures, and they all have something that makes them unique, whether it's the language, customs, what people wear or their behaviors. I grew up in Egypt knowing that America is the land of opportunity. This country is famous for its democratic society, clean environment and, last but not least, its unique culture.
From an early age, students in the American educational system have been taught that they have the ability to achieve their goals. This is because in America, there are so many ways to achieve one's dream.
As for me, I am in college now in search of an education that will help me further my career, and, in turn, ultimately help me have a better future. Although I would never be ashamed of my parents, I don't want to end up with limited career options as they have. My mother is a housekeeper, and my father a cook, and while I recognize that this is how they support and enable me to attend college, I dream of more for myself.
When I was young and lived in Egypt, I remember having my grandmother visit us from the United States. She used to advise me by saying, "Your education is only for you and for your career. It's not for us, (even though) we will hold your diploma and tell people that our daughter got a degree; it's for your future and a successful life."
I remember my grandmother's words, and I always tell this story to my friends to remind them that we work hard for ourselves, not for anyone else. Later on, if we complete our college studies, we will be proud of ourselves.
Recently, I had a conversation with another international student at MTSU, Youstina Saad, who is a junior. I asked if she would ever think about dropping out of school, and she replied, "I would never think of this unless I (was) very stressed (because) of schoolwork. But just dropping out of college? I would never do that, because I have a great opportunity to graduate with a great degree."
It seems to me that many Americans have the opportunity to attend college at any time of their lives, but they take it for granted. If they are not prepared to work hard at their schoolwork, they begin to lose patience and do not even try to succeed, giving up so quickly. I do not understand why they would do this.
College is a time of change for all students, but there are added challenges that international students face during their transition into the U.S. education system. For example, foreigners who cannot speak English fluently will be limited in regard to the education they receive. We also face other cultural challenges beyond language differences, including social differences and academic difficulties.
But in my experience, the college environment in the United States is, for international students, most likely the greatest difficulty--and much more difficult for us than our American counterparts. For me, experiencing the differences in culture is the greatest change to adapt to. Foreign students must adapt to their "new" social norms and customs in an environment where most host nationals know nothing about the foreign students' home country and culture.
During my time in school, I have found it difficult to make new social contacts and deal with the many cultural differences. It's not easy to learn the English language, and added to this is the great difficulty many international students face in trying to learn about and follow along with this country's college system.
Our differences may separate us from one another, but I know it is the international student's responsibility to become accustomed to whatever culture he or she joins. I, like other international students, must not only work hard and study but also learn a new way of life. It is a life full of opportunities, but it is still new and so different from the lives we knew before coming here.
Undoubtedly, this college experience will change who I am. Going through such a radical experience and remaining unchanged is nearly impossible. I hope that I will leave more educated and enlightened as a student, having both more knowledge and more skills. I hope college will make me a better person. I want to be prepared to enter into a career and to face the obstacles of adult life with confidence. I want to learn not only about science, English, history and math, but also about being a good person whom others can admire. And I want to be able to stand up and fight for what I know is right while having this opportunity in the United States.
Most of all, I hope that my college experience does not fall short of my expectations and leave me feeling disappointed for having attended. Life is already too short, and I would hate to live the rest of my days feeling like I wasted a gift.
Mary Kamel is a sophomore working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design at MTSU.
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Want Record -setting publicity in 2008? Read this!
by Gina E. Fann
It's the beginning of the end for 2007, and you're already looking ahead to 2008 and the events and accomplishments you and your department need to see publicized.
Want to make sure your information reaches the MTSU community? Send it to The Record at least three weeks before the event to ensure the good news gets across and off campus!
Other Record event submission suggestions:
• If your event will have special speakers or is co-sponsored by a particular organization, we can always use head-and-shoulders photographs of those speakers or other central participants, especially if they (or you) are quoted somewhere in the event's publicity. Organizational logos also are welcome. Photos not made by MTSU Photographic Services must be a minimum 2" by 3" and in sharp focus; we prefer color photos but can use black-and-white. If the photos are digital, they also must be at least 2" by 3" and a minimum resolution of 200 pixels per inch to meet our printer's standards. (Event photos you submit should have the same minimum resolution, 200 ppi, and be at least 4" by 6".) Logos and graphics should be at least 2" by 3" and have a 300-ppi minimum digital resolution to ensure clarity.
• We welcome "For The Record" columns on the topic of your special event to help readers get an insider's view on the subject. Such columns should be a maximum of 500 words and will include your official university head-and-shoulders photo, so if you haven't been photographed by Photo Services in the last five years, make an appointment for a fresh one soon by calling 615-898-2875. (We can't run a column without a recent photo. And believe us, some of the ones we have on file are getting dated.)
• If possible, please submit your information, articles or columns to us in electronic format a minimum of three weeks before the event. (That means simply including your information within the text of an e-mail instead of a separate attachment.) Early submissions allow us not only to meet our printing deadlines but to plan for and obtain any artwork, photographs, additional facts and quotes and the like. The earlier we receive your news, the earlier we can publicize it--and the more likely we can give it good "play" in The Record. That's why we've included a clip-and-save version of the 2008 publication dates--and the deadlines to get your information in them--at right. This information also is available at www.mtsunews.com.
You can send event information for The Record to gfann@ mtsu.edu anytime. I acknowledge all e-mails to The Record, from event publicity to faculty/staff update items, so you'll know we've received your information.
If you have questions, call me at 615-898-5385. I welcome your help in publicizing your event to the MTSU community and beyond in The Record!
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
A decade of getting AHeAD with EXL
by Tom Tozer
This fall marked the 10th anniversary of the Aging Health and Development course at MTSU, created and nurtured by Dr. Cate Stogner, associate professor of human sciences, who also believes that it is the longest-running service-learning course on campus.
Still going strong as ever, CDFS-4391, better known as AHeAD, exemplifies the staying power and true value of the experiential learning concept.
"It's the only fully integrated service-learning course," Stogner explains, "which means it's not just a project here and there. After the first three weeks of orientation, it becomes the course, and students are with the senior citizens two hours every week."
Over the years, Stogner says she has seen her students undergo real epiphanies from their experiences, especially when an "aha" moment links something they learned in class with something they actually feel or see happen. She also notes that she has seen those she'd call mediocre students suddenly "take off like a rocket" in a service-learning environment.
"On the other hand, you have some students who make A's on all their tests and fall flat when it comes to putting into practice what they have learned," Stogner says. "This kind of hands-on learning gives me another way to measure a student's ability to become a family-life educator."
So what does experiential learning do for Stogner as a teacher?
"I'm easily bored," Stogner responds. "I can't teach the same thing over and over. You never get bored in EXL classes. It's like being a stagecoach driver, and the horses are on the verge of getting out of control, and the road is on the edge of a cliff, and your job is to keep it from going over the cliff. You have to be aware of what's going on--and it's never the same. The dynamics and problems are different in every class.
"I'd say to other faculty members, try some kind of experiential learning--it will perk up your academic career. It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun, too. Sue (O'Brien, longtime director of the St. Clair Senior Center) always says you can tell when AHeAD is there, because you can hear a lot of laughter and chatter."
Stephanie Dunn started the program when she was an undergraduate student of Stogner's and says she was scared to death of working with senior citizens. She is now teaching the class, and the child development and family studies major says it changed her life. In fact, her transformation was the subject of her master's thesis.
"It's great to take ownership of what you've learned in the classroom and apply it to real life," Dunn notes. "I was expected to think so far outside the box that I noticed a huge change in myself. I didn't think it was possible. It has changed how I relate to other people."
Dunn also serves as a mentor to Becca Seul, a graduate student who is also a site director at the senior center. "I find myself having so much more respect for elderly people now," Seul says. "Experiential learning teaches you so much about yourself. You have to learn to roll with the punches."
Word of mouth keeps creates a waiting line for AHeAD, Stogner said. There are 20 students in the program every semester and approximately 30 senior citizens.
"This is what feeds my professional soul," Stogner adds. "It's important for other faculty to know that you don't have to jump in--you can start by doing some kind of experiential learning in degrees. But you have to abdicate a certain amount of control. You have to make sure it's the students' program, not yours."
Photo page 3 |
GETTING AHeAD IN LIFE--Stephanie Dunn, left, instructor of the Aging Health and Development experiential learning course in MTSU's Child Development and Family Studies program, jokes with Becca Seul, center, site director and grad student, and participant Dixie Bell at the St. Clair Senior Center in Murfreesboro. The EXL course, also known as AHeAD, celebrated its 10th anniversary this fall.
photo by J. Intinto |
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Cadets take general's wise words to heart
by Randy Weiler
A traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared by MT Dining was served after the military science department's fall awards Nov. 20 in the James Union Building.
For Cadet Battalion Commander Matthew Wallace and the other cadet honorees, guest speaker Brig. Gen. William N. "Bill" Phillips' message before the meal was "sage" advice.
"It was very inspirational," said Wallace, a senior business major from McMinnville. "I felt a lot of his comments really hit home. Everything he talked about would be good topics for the seniors. He was on base with a lot of issues--good inspiration for anything they may encounter in their career."
Phillips, an MTSU alumnus (B.S. '76) and commanding general of Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, N.J., told the cadets they "have a moral and ethical obligation to seek out veterans and thank them for their service."
His insights, which are useful for leaders in any field, also included: "Learning never stops. ... Study hard. A grade-point average above 3.0 shows you've studied hard, and the Army will reward you. What you did in school will follow you.
"... NCOs (noncommissioned officers) are the best teachers. I still remember what those guys taught me. ... In the Army, you'll see good things people do and bad things people do. Learn Army values. Know the Warrior Ethos (four principles by which every soldier lives).
"... Always be professional at what you do, technically and tactfully proficient in your branch. Get out and see your soldiers. Be with your soldiers. Do what soldiers do. ... Set the example: How you wear your uniform, be on time and show up with the right attitude. Be positive in all you do.
"... What gets people in trouble is they violate Army values and health issues. ... Pick up good habits now. Be physically and mentally fit. ... Soldiers expect you to care for them. They will see through false caring. ... Know what's going on in the Army: Keep up with recruiting and retention goals. ... Focus on safety and safe practices.
"... Your reputation is important. Credibility is vital. Protect it. Once you lose it, you never get it back. ... Don't accept mediocrity. ... Communication probably will be your biggest challenge. ... Take time to recognize heroes. I go out of my way to surprise soldiers who have gone out of their way."
Phillips presented Wallace with the General Officers' Award, an annual presentation of a saber presented by MTSU ROTC alumni to the cadet battalion commander.
"It was a great honor to receive the award," Wallace said. "It really shows the support of alumni to give the award every year. ... It is a lot of hard work, but you can't do it alone. It takes good staff and the seniors, not only that, but a good cadre (military science instructors). They do a lot to train and prepare us for our positions."
As a member of the Tennessee National Guard unit from McMinnville, Wallace, 27, served in Iraq from November 2004 to November 2005.
"We did convoy operations, security patrols and helped the Iraqis facilitate their elections," he said.
Photo page 6 |
WELL DONE--Senior MTSU ROTC Cadet Battalion Commander Matthew Wallace, second from right, accepts the general officers' saber from Brig. Gen. William "Bill" Phillips during the military science department's fall awards Nov. 20 in the James Union Building. Also pictured are Lt. Col. Mike Walsh, left, military science, and Dr. Saeed Foroudastan, associate dean for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.
photo by News and Public Affairs |
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
By the numbers
Photo page 6 |
REWARDING EXCELLENCE--Students in MTSU's actuarial sciences program join alumnus G. Ron Nichols (B.S. '70), left, vice president-operations in the Mid-America Zone for State Farm Insurance Companies, and MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, right, during a ceremony honoring scholarship winners and alumni of the university's actuarial sciences program. Recipients of the State Farm Scholarship of Excellence in ASCI include senior Benvictor Sang, second from left; seniors Jeremy Richardson and Wes Merriman; and junior Dustin "Dusty" Gray. Also honored at the Nov. 19 ceremony were graduate students Rog Heller, Linda Chang, Adam Niblett and Jason Wix, all CASE Grant for MTSU ACSI Program Scholarship recipients; Outstanding ASCI Alumni John Daniel (Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, 2004), L. Kevin Smith (Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society, 1995), Mandy Lee Bratten (Actuarial Sciences Associates, 2007) and Yongmei Lori Badgett (ASA, 2007); Outstanding ASCI Faculty Member J.C. Hankins; and Outstanding ASCI Graduate Student Kazem Karimi.
photo by J. Intintoli |
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Former mass comm dean Leaming passes away at age 75
from Staff Reports
Dr. Deryl R. Leaming, dean of MTSU's College of Mass Communication from August 1993 until his retirement in April 2002, passed away Nov. 15 in Charlotte, N.C., after an eight-month battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Memorial services for Dr. Leaming were conducted Nov. 18 at Hartsell Funeral Home, Concord, N.C.
Dr. Leaming, 75, served as director of the journalism department, founding director of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communication and dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., before arriving at MTSU.
During his tenure at MTSU, the College of Mass Communication more than doubled its enrollment and achieved full accreditation in 1999 for the first time in its history. Dr. Leaming, a regional director and national board member of Sigma Delta Chi/Society of Professional Journalists, also was a popular speaker and the author of Academic Leadership: A Practical Guide to Chairing the Department and Managing People: A Guide for Department Chairs and Deans, as well as a memoir of his Kansas childhood, A Once-Told Tale in Three-Part Harmony.
Dr. Leaming is survived by his wife, Lila; three sons; and six grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Jim "Catfish" Hunter Chapter of ALS, 120-101 Penmar Drive, Raleigh, N.C. 27603.
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
Career Center's new chief has big plans for campus
by Tom Tozer
Some students come to MTSU knowing what they want to do. Others think they know and will change their minds. Many, however, have no idea what they want to accomplish.
With that knowledge, Bill Fletcher, new director of MTSU's Career and Employment Center, has immersed himself in the job and knows exactly what he wants to do.
"The first college where I worked, the major that drew the largest number of incoming students was the 'undeclared student major,'" Fletcher recalled, adding that he wants to reach all the MTSU students in that category.
"I've been very involved in developing programming for that target population. "I'm looking forward to working with the academic advising office for the 'undeclared' and the 'undeclareds plus 20 or 30 hours.' They're the ones who need to fill in those blanks pretty soon."
Before coming to MTSU, Fletcher, who follows Martha Turner, the center's director of almost 43 years, spent four years as associate director for employee relations in Vanderbilt University's Career Center. His 18 years of experience in career development, student affairs and Greek life encompassed building relationships with Fortune 500 companies, career counseling, managing experiential-learning programs and developing marketing programs with internal and external constituents.
"I'm thrilled to be here," he said. "It's exciting. You can tell what's happening on a campus by the amount of building."
When he read a copy of MTSU's academic master plan, with its emphases on student development, lifelong learning and fostering partnerships, Fletcher said, "I could really see the center fitting in. I started making notes in the document.
"I think what we need to do is to offer a wide variety and base of employers who can offer full-time, career-related employment after graduation, as well as internship employment, because that is where experiential learning comes in. Experiential learning is very important to my philosophy of career services."
One of Fletcher's goals is to grow the center's employer base by making employers aware of curriculum additions or changes, new majors or reconfigurations of departments. "Employers ... expect to be able to go to a career center and effectively network throughout campus and reach the various constituents they need to reach. I want to improve the student experience and the employer experience when they come into the center."
Fletcher also wants to expand the use of technology so students can find help online to create a resume, apply for a job and interview. Acquiring recruiting software also will enable students to sign up for job interviews online, he said.
Getting out the word to students about the center's services is paramount, Fletcher said. MTSU already has career coordinators in each college, which he called "cutting-edge."
"It shows that the faculty and deans support what we're doing," he noted. "One announcement by a faculty member is worth all the print ads you could do in a publication."
Fletcher also wants to implement a peer-career adviser program for students and increase the center's visibility across campus.
"I also want to talk to employers and tell them why they should hire MTSU students for internships or postgraduate positions," he said. "And I want to provide information to the media to let them know who we are."
The work of the center also must adjust to the needs of today's employers and the expectations of today's employees, he noted.
"This is truly a developmental process in helping students realize what they can do--not for the rest of their lives but for that first period after they leave MTSU," Fletcher said. "That is the launch pad for what they will do the rest of their lives. The days of going into the work force and staying with one employer for 30 years are gone, with the exception of Martha Turner, whom I have followed and who is a rare gem."
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December 3, 2007, V16.12
People Around Campus:
National election another step toward success for professor
by Bonnie Bailey
Dr. Kathy Virginia Hemby, an associate professor of business communications and entrepreneurship at MTSU and a traumatic brain injury survivor, recently was elected national president of Delta Pi Epsilon, a national graduate honors society for business professionals.
"I'm excited about getting the chance to be president of Delta Pi Epsilon," Hemby said. "Hopefully, I will be able to recruit new members and create a whole new interest in the organization."
Hemby has been involved in Delta Pi Epsilon since she was invited to join the organization at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1992. She was elected national vice-president of the organization in 2005 and was inaugurated as national president of the organization at its annual conference Nov. 17 in New Orleans.
One of the main reasons she has tried so hard to succeed, Hemby said, is the "invisible disability" she copes with as a result of her traumatic brain injury.
"I feel like (the injury) has been the impetus behind a lot of what I do. I have to prove that I can still do things." Hemby said. "It makes me feel a sense of accomplishment that no matter what happens to me, I'm not going to let it get me down."
Hemby was hurt Dec. 1, 1999, as she crossed the street on her way to work at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She was hit by a truck and flung to the pavement, resulting in a fracture to the left side of her skull just above her left ear and a subdural hematoma.
Doctors told her family that she probably would not survive; if she did, they said, she would most likely be like a victim of a massive stroke, either left in a vegetative state or forced to relearn everything she had known.
Hemby apparently didn't pay attention to the dire predictions. Her first miracle was waking up, and not only was she awake, she was talking, something the doctors had said she might never do again.
She still had many challenges ahead, however, even after her apparent recovery. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, aphasia (forgetting words) and panic attacks, and she lost her ability to smell (anosmia) and taste.
"Crossing the street out there (also) is a major problem for me," Hemby said. "I tell my students at the very beginning of every semester about my injury, and one reason I tell them is because I want them to be careful crossing the street.
"'You all step out in front of traffic with cell phones up to your ears,' I say. 'You don't even look. I would like to say that you're going to be fine, but ... if you are ever hit and have a head injury, you have no idea what it does to you as a person. It completely changes you.'"
Hemby said one of the hardest things about living with an invisible disability is that people don't understand it.
"I look normal," Hemby said. "When you look at me, you don't see a disabled person. You look at me and say, 'What's wrong with her? Why would she even say that she has a disability?'"
Hemby advises others who face similar challenges to "never give up."
"Keep putting one foot in front of the other," she said. "Whatever you do, don't quit."
Photo page 8 |
WALKING AWAY A WINNER--Dr. Virginia Hemby takes a break in her office in the Business and Aerospace Building.
photo by J. Intintoli
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Campus Calendar - December 3, 2007, V16.12
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Campus Calendar Dec. 3, 2007-Jan. 13, 2008
TV Schedule
"Middle Tennessee Record"
Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday-5 p.m.
NewsChannel 5+: Sundays-1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other cable outlet airtimes.
Through Dec. 6
"MEXICO/ITALY: One Perspective/Two Countries"
Photo exhibit by Harvey Stein
Baldwin Photo Gallery, LRC
For information and exhibit hours, contact: 615-898-2085.
Through Dec. 31
"Mid-State Art Majors"
including works by MTSU artists
Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway, Nashville
For information and exhibit hours, visit www.fristcenter.org.
Monday, Dec. 3
Faculty Senate Meeting
4:30 p.m., JUB 100
For information, contact: 615-898-2582.
Handel's "Messiah"
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
Admission: $10 general, $8 seniors
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Tuesday, Dec. 4
JAWC Career/Professional Development Brown Bag
Terri Johnson, "How to Gain Confidence, Handle Conflict and Be Successful in the Workplace"
Noon, BAS SunTrust Room
For information, contact: 615-898-2193.
MTSU Symphonic Band and MTSU Chamber Winds
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Wednesday, Dec. 5
Last day of classes.
MTSU Commercial Music Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Thursday, Dec. 6
Study Day
No classes; university offices open.
MTSU Brass: "Twas the Brass Before Christmas"
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Dec. 7-13
Final exams.
Dec. 7-8
MTSU Performing Arts Company: "Unity"
7 p.m., Tucker Theatre
Admission: $5 general; students and children free
For information, contact: 615-898-5857.
Friday, Dec. 7
First Friday Star Party
Dr. Chuck Higgins, "The Radio Universe"
6:30-8:30 p.m., WPS Room 102
For information, contact: 615-898-5946.
Saturday, Dec. 8
Track & Cross Country MT Christmas Invitational
Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-2103.
Sunday, Dec. 9
"MTSU On the Record-Immigrationomics"
Guest: Dr. Bill Ford
7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcast at www.mtsunews.com.
Tuesday, Dec. 11
Tornado Siren Test Date
12:20 p.m., campuswide
For information, contact: 615-898-2424.
Wednesday, Dec. 12
Men's Basketball vs. Belmont
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-2103.
Thursday, Dec. 13
Retired Faculty/Staff Coffee
9:30 a.m., Foundation House
For information, contact: 615-898-5756.
Friday, Dec. 14
Commencement Reception for December graduating class
4-6 p.m., Alumni House
For information, visit www.mtalumni.com.
Saturday, Dec. 15
Fall 2007 Commencement
9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.mtsunews.com.
Sunday, Dec. 16
"MTSU On the Record-'We Are His Poets'"
Guest: Dr. John Vile
7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcast at www.mtsunews.com.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
Men's Basketball vs. Florida International
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Wednesday, Dec. 19
Women's Basketball vs. Florida International
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Dec. 23
"MTSU On the Record-The Supreme Court Made Simpler"
Guest: David Hudson
7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcast at www.mtsunews.com.
Dec. 24-Dec. 29
Winter holidays
University offices closed.
Friday, Dec. 28
Women's Basketball vs. LSU
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Saturday, Dec. 29
Men's Basketball vs. Austin Peay
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Monday, Dec. 31
University offices open.
Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008
New Year's Day holiday
University offices closed.
Wednesday, Jan. 2
University offices reopen.
Saturday, Jan. 5
Men's Basketball vs. Denver
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Jan. 6
Women's Basketball vs. Denver
2 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Tornado Siren Test Date
11:15 a.m., campuswide
For information, contact: 615-898-2424.
Men's Basketball vs. Florida Atlantic
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Thursday, Jan. 10
Women's Basketball vs. Florida Atlantic
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Submit your campus event calendar items (at least three weeks in advance of the event, please) to gfann@mtsu.edu or via fax to 615-898-5714.
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