This communication is to update you on our proposed budget reduction plans to address the mandated cuts in university appropriations for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

As you may have read, our state appropriation base funding is being cut by $6.156 million, which is 6.1 percent of our 2007-08 state appropriation. While we already had some concerns since little or no new state funds had been included in the state's original proposed budget, this reduction will create even greater challenges for us in the upcoming fiscal year.

To meet this budget reduction, each department, college and division has been asked to offer recommendations on ways they could cut 5 percent from their current base budget. You may ask why only 5 percent, when our state appropriation is being reduced by 6.1 percent? The reason is that base-operating budgets also include other funds, i.e., tuition, fees and other revenues, that provide funding above the state appropriation. We felt that a 5 percent review would be sufficient as a start.

I am especially pleased that each department and division head has grasped our serious fiscal situation and understood and responded to this enormous challenge. Each has proposed meaningful cuts and reductions, many of which will have a significant impact on university programs and activities. I want to assure you that our commitment is to protect, as much as possible under these circumstances, our core mission, which is academics and instructional activities.

As we review proposed budget reductions, we will first identify cuts in central campus administration budgets and pool accounts. This strategy will help us lessen the reductions in the academic areas of the university. As the academic budget represents more than 76 percent of our base education and general budget, reductions in this area unfortunately will be necessary in order for us to accomplish the mandated 6.1 percent cuts. Every effort will be made to hold the academic-area cuts to a minimum.

In addition, we will begin to consider other possible courses of action, including outsourcing of some operations and services, to reduce costs or increase revenues to help with our budget needs. As this budget situation may very well be a problem again next fiscal year, we will need to adopt new business practices and evaluate the level of support that we can continue to provide for some of our own programs and activities as well as for nonuniversity activities that have traditionally been on our campus. At a minimum, outside groups and activities will be required to pay more for using our facilities.

Unfortunately, there will be no salary increases, but the state Legislature did approve a $400 one-time, flat-rate bonus for employees with at least three years of creditable service as of Oct. 1, 2008. The bonus will be included in your October salary payment.

Further, the state's voluntary buyout program for state employees does not apply to higher education, and we are not proposing any similar program for our campus, even though a couple of other Tennessee Board of Regents institutions are asking the Board to consider a buyout program for their campuses. We just do not have the funding to implement a buyout.

I am extending the budget restrictions imposed in early May to June 30 to increase year-end funds. These one-time funds will be used to provide funding for some essential high-priority budget needs next fiscal year. Year-end funds have routinely been used to fund some of the following year's needs. This year will be no different, except that we need more.

Your continued understanding is most appreciated during this difficult financial time.

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee is the president of Middle Tennessee State University. He may be reached at 615-898-5825 or smcphee@mtsu.edu.

For the second consecutive year, the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, has accepted an independent film produced by MTSU students and faculty.

The movie, "Wait...," an emotionally powerful examination of an American's reaction to the news that his son has died in Iraq, also has been accepted by Digifest in Florence, Italy, and is under consideration by nearly 40 other festivals around the globe.

Ironically, Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication and the screenwriter and director of "Wait ...," says he suspects the anti-war sentiment expressed in the film might have had a role in its rejection by at least one film festival. The Cinema Society of San Diego, a city with an economy heavily dependent upon seven military bases in the area, turned down "Wait ..." without giving Pondillo a reason.

"I would be saddened if our movie was banned for some overt political reason," Pondillo says. "San Diegans should have the right to see the film and make up their own minds."

The short film was shot in one dreary, rainy day in November 2007 at a student's rented Murfreesboro house, which had been revamped to look like a disheveled Chicagoan's lower-middle-class home. Pondillo tapped his friend David Lawrence to play the lone role in the film.

Lawrence, a Los Angeles-based actor, portrays John H. Kavazanjian Sr., a father who is informed that his son has died in the war in Iraq. He says he gained a great appreciation for the character once he arrived on the set.

The oddest things will set things off in my memory, and it doesn't happen until I'm on the set," Lawrence says.

Among the props that put Lawrence in the mood were dated, well-worn furniture, various tidbits of Chicago Cubs paraphernalia, pictures of Jesus and a video playing on the VCR of the son as a playful young boy, eerily reminiscent of the final scene of Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia." Chattanoogan Carianne Lance, a May 2007 MTSU graduate who has worked in commercials, music videos, theater and television, was the set designer.

"We were on a very low budget, so we had to just go with what we could find," Lance says.

In addition to $1,200 of his own money, Pondillo obtained $500 from the Department of Electronic Media Communication, which has been supportive of all of Pondillo's screenwriting, directing and producing endeavors. Students and alumni were the backbones of his prior two films, "Would You Cry If I Died?" and "My Name is Wallace," and Pondillo clearly loves sharing the creative process with them.

"They do a great job and they're right on top of things," Pondillo says. "They ask the right questions. So I'm very impressed by our group. They're terrific. I like the fact that I work with all these young people who want to make something amazing."

Justin Stokes, a production assistant from Indianapolis and president of the newly formed MTSU Film Guild, was responsible for making sure the rain on that gloomy shooting day in November 2007 didn't get into the lights. He wants to work primarily on feature films after he graduates.

"My theory on it is that everyone's interested in film," Stokes says. "I mean, that's like everyone's fantasy, that they'd like to do something with film. It's just one of those mediums that everyone appreciates. I've known people who've not always liked music or not always liked to read, but films are just something everyone can enjoy."

At the start of the film, the camera transports the viewer past a pickup truck through a cluttered front yard into a lower-middle-class home. A heating and air conditioning repairman in his 50s reads an official-looking letter while sitting at the kitchen table. Sobbing bitterly, he pours himself a drink. For the next nine minutes or so, the viewer will gain insights into his thoughts until the climactic moment--which is punctuated by a shocking twist.

"Wait ..." takes a far more serious tone than Pondillo's last effort, "My Name is Wallace," a quirky comedy about an emotionally challenged man who went looking for love in a very strange way. "Wallace," another collaboration with students and alumni, captured 14 awards and honors at film festivals nationwide last year and was promoted at the Cannes festival.

In addition to the joy of working with talented, engaging students, Pondillo says knowing that maybe 200 people will ever read his academic papers pales by comparison with the professional satisfaction he gets from stretching his imagination on film.

"At least 'Wait ...' is something that will be seen and will be judged just on its aesthetic nature as well as the story and the acting," he says.

In addition to Lance and Stokes, student and recent-alumni team members included Chrissy Coburn of Pigeon Forge, production assistant; Jesse Davidson of Nashville, special blood effects; Daniel Henry of Nashville, documentarian/production assistant; Travis Holmes of Murfreesboro, production assistant; Jonathan Parris of Murfreesboro, special mechanical and computer graphic effects; David Poag of Culleoka, cinematographer; Daniel Rowland of Milledgeville, Ga., production sound/sound design; Tyler Sheldon of Knoxville, art direction/production coordination; Jacob Smithson of Woodbury, gaffer/first assistant cinematographer; and Drew Weaver of Cordova, Ala., location manager/ production assistant. Edie Urness-Pondillo provided graphic design and Photoshop services, while journalism professor Ray Wong handled printing and Dr. Robert Wood (recording industry) composed the score.

To watch the film and for more information on "Wait ...," go to www.waitfilm.com.

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View photos page 5 PICTURES OF YOU--Actor David Lawrence, above, ponders a photo of his character's son in a scene from "Wait ...." The "son's" portrait, at left, was created by manipulating a photo of Lawrence. GETTING READY--Dr. Bob Pondillo, in the denim shirt, watches actor David Lawrence, seated, prepare for a scene in the short film "Wait ..." as production crew members get ready for filming. The film, which is slightly over nine minutes long, is Pondillo's third project using MTSU students and alumni and his second movie with Lawrence, who also starred in "My Name is Wallace." photo by News and Public Affairs

The MTSU Moonbuggy Teams won four prestigious awards and were finalists for a fifth at the 15th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., sponsored by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

The Great Moonbuggy Race is inspired by the original lunar rover engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center, whose creation journeyed across the moon during the last three Apollo missions in the early 1970s. The vehicles that enter this race are human-powered and based on the original Lunar Roving Vehicle design: a compact, lightweight, flexible and durable "all-terrain vehicle" that could be transported to the moon and also carry astronauts on the lunar surface.

Students participating in the Moonbuggy project face challenges similar to those experienced by the original design team. They develop skills in mathematics, science and engineering through the hands-on application of classroom curricula. About 30 college teams from around the world competed in the April 5 event.

MTSU teams won:

* the Most Unique Design Award for their vehicle's carbon composite frame, which was declared the only moonbuggy in the competition that would be fit for actual moon exploration;

* the Safety Award for simulating the original Lunar Rover's need for safety and efficiency;

* the Crash and Burn Award, which recognizes team members' persistence to complete the race even when a mechanical problem occurs; and

* the Team Participation Award.

The MTSU teams also were finalists for the competition's Best Engineering Design Award.

The 2007-08 MTSU Moonbuggy Teams include team leaders Johnny Guidry and Jennifer Russell and teammates Juan Gomez, Katie Sampuda, Scarlett Lanning, Michael Paris, Patricia Jones, Greg Russell, Kelly Fries, Thomas Damron, Tanya McLaughlin and Michael McGoldrick.

"In addition, a recent MTSU graduate, Souriya Sinpraseuth, returned to assist current students and was very influential in this year's moonbuggy success," said Dr. Saeed Foroudastan, who supervised the moonbuggy project. "All these students worked extremely hard to accomplish this distinguished recognition for MTSU."

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HIGH ROLLERS--The MTSU Moonbuggy Teams celebrate their recent success. From left are Patricia Jones, Scarlett Lanning, Greg Russell, team leaders Johnny Guidry and Jennifer Russell, Juan Gomez, Michael Paris, Michael McGoldrick, alumnus Souriya Sinpraseuth, adviser Dr. Saeed Foroudastan and Katie Sampuda. photo submitted

UP TO MODERN STANDARDS

This summer, MTSU will offer courses in Modern Standard Arabic from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in two separate sessions--June 2-July 3 and July 7-August 8. Students will learn the Arabic script/alphabet, common useful vocabulary and basic grammatical structures. At the end of the sequence, students will be equipped with basic survival skills such as ordering food, booking hotel rooms, describing their daily lives, understanding and giving directions, etc. For more information, contact Kari Sue Neely, assistant professor of foreign languages, at ksneely@mtsu.edu.

MTSU's Dr. Robert "Bob" Glenn will become the next president of Athens State University after the chancellor of Alabama's two-year college system recommended his appointment to the Alabama State Board of Education at its May 22 board meeting.

Glenn has served MTSU for eight years, initially as vice president for student affairs. Two year later, he assumed the additional role of vice provost for enrollment management.

"On behalf of the MTSU community, I would like to congratulate Bob Glenn on his new position as president of Athens State University," MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said. "Dr. Glenn is returning to a state that is close to his heart and to a school that has great historical significance for his family. His contributions to MTSU run long and deep. He not only talked about being involved in student life--he was and is an avid supporter and participant in those activities."

Glenn's new role as president of Athens State, which begins Aug. 1, will see him leading an institution with an enrollment of about 3,000.

"I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work at MTSU," Glenn said. "I would not be able to assume this opportunity for service if it had not been for the influence and help of Dr. McPhee, my fellow vice presidents, the great deans of the colleges and all of the other exceptional people who serve the students here. It has been an honor to work with these great professionals, and I can only hope that I can pay forward all they have done for me."

Glenn explained that his great-grandfather, Edgar Massilon Glenn, served two years (1902- 1904) as Athens' president when the institution was known as Athens Female College. The elder Glenn later served on the board of trustees at Athens State, as well as the boards of trustees for Birmingham-Southern and Huntingdon colleges.

"As an administrator, Dr. Glenn led MTSU through a period of tremendous growth," McPhee noted. "Through his able leadership and management of that growth, the needs of the students remained priority No. 1, and the quality of our programs and integrity of the university's mission were never compromised. Dr. Glenn helped develop a culture of involvement at MTSU that has enabled students to excel in the classroom and become engaged in the community, resulting in a well-rounded educational experience. Many fine achievements lie ahead for Dr. Glenn, and on behalf of the university community, I wish him even greater success."

"When enrollment services became a part of student affairs, Dr. Glenn provided exemplary leadership in the transition," added colleague Sherian Huddleston, associate vice president for enrollment services. "His experience in student development, his careful thought in decision-making and his dedication to serving all students characterize Dr. Glenn."

Glenn received his doctorate, with an emphasis in counselor education, and his Master of Science, with an emphasis in student personnel work, from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Birmingham-Southern College.

Athens State University is located in Athens and is part of the Alabama Community College System.

Three MTSU students were recognized for their creativity in design during the 2008 Fashion Group International in Dallas, a one-day educational event created to mentor and develop tomorrow's leaders and entrepreneurs in the fashion, beauty and home-environments industries.

Dr. Gina R. Pisut, assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences, said FGI of Dallas Career Day, with a 40-year-tradition, is the longest-running and largest fashion career event of its kind in the United States. Held in April each year, the educational outreach is presented by the Fashion Group Foundation of Dallas Inc. with support from the Texas Department of Agriculture.

In this year's contest, 12 students majoring in MTSU's textiles, merchandising and design program submitted entries in the contest, which is the largest FGI regional event of its kind worldwide.

"Out of the 12 MTSU students who entered, three placed," Pisut noted. "With over 1,000 entries, we feel the students did well this year."

The MTSU students who placed or were formally recognized at the recent event were Angela Kenny of Mt. Juliet, who placed first in the "Cotton" category and was a finalist in the "Best of Show" category; Catherine Baker of Franklin, who was a finalist in the "Cotton" and "Sportswear/Activewear" categories; and Anna Brackin of Brentwood, who won third place in the Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids "Denim Jacket" competition.

"It has been about four years or more since our students received any (FGI) awards," Pisut said, adding that both Kenny and Baker's garments are now on display in the Ellington Human Sciences Building at MTSU.

The textile, merchandising and design program, or TXMD, at MTSU is designed to give students in-depth knowledge and skills necessary for a variety of careers in the fashion industry, including retailing, visual merchandising, promotion, wholesaling or consulting, fashion design or as patternmakers with apparel manufacturers. Currently, MTSU has more than 200 TXMD majors.

For more information about the MTSU student-created designs, please contact Pisut via e-mail at gpisut@mtsu.edu. For more information about the FGI Career Day in Dallas, which attracted more than 1,200 participants from 42 schools in 10 states in 2007, please visit www.dallascareerday.org

Back by popular demand, MTSU is serving as host Wednesday through Friday, June 11-13, for the second annual CSI: MTSU for students in 10th through 12th grades.

CSI: MTSU is a three-day program designed for students entering the 10th, 11th and 12th grades in Rutherford and surrounding counties. The program is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education and MTSU's College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning.

The goals of CSI: MTSU are to:

* allow students entering the 10th, 11th and 12th grades to explore unique career possibilities in forensic science;

* provide a "real life" reason to tackle higher-level math and science courses; and

* develop skills in teamwork, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking and making presentations.

The student investigators will be presented with a recreation of an actual crime scene. They will be divided into several teams, and each team will be assigned to work with a member of the Forensic Anthropology Search and Recovery Team. A professional will direct and coach the students as they use math and science to solve the crimes.

Each student will be trained in the fundamental processes of collecting evidence, including DNA, fingerprints, hair and fibers, simulated blood spatter and shoe prints. Students also will learn how to process the evidence, conduct interviews and formulate theories while working within a team environment.

During the last afternoon of the camp, each team will make a presentation detailing their theories of the crime and the conclusions they've reached. A panel of forensic scientists will critique the teams' conclusions, and parents are welcome to come to the last camp session.

Sessions are set from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day in Rooms S128 and S208 of the Business and Aerospace Building. Registration is $225 per student, which includes daily breaks with snacks, lunch, a CSI: MTSU T-shirt and an investigator packet.

Participants can register online at www.mtsu.edu/~fire/workshops.htm.

For more information, please contact Eve Shockley in the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning at 615-898-5530 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

MTSU Campus Recreation kicks off its youth camp season Monday, June 2, to help keep young people healthy and fit this summer.

The Summer Youth Sports Camp, which begins June 2 and runs each week through Friday, Aug. 1, is for boys and girls seven to 13 years old. It will feature a variety of sports, leisure and fitness activities between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tuition for each weekly session is $150 with lunch or $125 if campers bring their own lunches.

Campers will be assigned to groups according to age, and all activities will be coed. Campers can enjoy swimming in the indoor and outdoor pools, basketball, soccer, flag football, racquetball, whiffle ball, kickball, dodgeball and ping pong, and they'll also be offered wellness sessions to learn how and why to exercise and how to make healthy choices.

Swim Camp also begins June 2 and runs for four two-week sessions through July 25. The camp, which aims to help swimmers ages 8 to 17 improve efficiency and time and enjoy the training process, is set from 1 to 2 p.m. daily. Each two-week session costs $25 per participant, and swimmers may register for one session or all four.

And Campus Rec's Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. A water bottle is a must, organizers say.

Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp. Discounts are available.

Campers also must have received all school-required shots before attending the camps; parents will need to furnish proof of those shots as well as family medical insurance coverage.

For more details, visit www.mtsu.edu/~camprec or call 615-898-2104.

Following its best year yet in 2007, the MTSU Equestrian Team just completed another outstanding season under Coach Anne Brzezicki.

Led by Sarah McKee's second straight individual national title, MTSU again had a strong presence at the 2008 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship Show at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, Calif., May 8-11.

McKee, who graduated in December 2007 but had qualified to ride in the nationals, earned first-place honors in the Novice Western division at the IHSA nationals.

"It was stellar," Brzezicki said of McKee's performance. "She drew a nervous mare. The horse was very tense and fragile. Sarah was able to keep her head together; she knew not to try to do too much too quick. You have to be tactful, and it requires a lot of self-control. Sarah always has been able to keep control in high-stress situations."

McKee, who lives in Gallatin, also won the National Western semifinals in March at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, Brzezicki said.

McKee's 2008 Novice Western title is a level higher than the Intermediate crown she captured '07, Brzezicki added.

Alumni can compete in IHSA national events, and MTSU graduates Jaclyn Cradduck and Susan Shemwell, both from Murfreesboro, fared well. Shemwell placed third in Alumni Western while Cradduck finished fourth in Alumni Over Fences Hunter Seat.

"The season went very well," Brzezicki said. "Last year was so amazing (with numerous regional and national awards). To try and repeat that is really hard."

Brzezicki said MTSU riders came away with region championships in all divisions except one. McKee, Crystal Hall, Mattie Shamblin, Matt McMurtrey, Kim White and Amy Snoderly were Western riding winners or reserve champs. Whitney Herron earned a reserve championship in the Hunt Seat Intermediate Fences division.

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AWARD WINNER--MTSU Equestrian Team member Sarah McKee, second from left, celebrates her win in the Novice Western division of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship. Joining her are, from left, IHSA founder Bob Cacchione; an unidentified WeatherBeeta-Collegiate representative; McKee's mother, Mona Hutcherson; Equestrian Team coach Anne Brzezicki; assistant coach Faye Lynn Coffey; and Luanne Ulrich, American Quarter Horse Association representative. photo submitted

The 2009 IHSA National Championship Show will return to Tennessee Miller Coliseum and Murfreesboro next April 23-26, MTSU equestrian coach Anne Brzezicki said.

The 2009 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association nationals will mark the third time in seven years that it has been hosted by MTSU, which also welcomed it to Miller Coliseum in both May 2003 and 2004.

"We do have the best venue in the country to host it," Brzezicki said. "We have fabulous facilities, plus the close proximity to the airport (Nashville International), hotels, restaurants, horses and Miller (Coliseum) itself."

Brzezicki added that "it's a great promotion for MTSU and the horse science program to bring a couple thousand people in to see our facilities and program. From the last time we hosted it, we got several students out of it. We're still hearing from people who came or heard about it."

The veteran coach said hosting the national show "gives our students an opportunity to help organize, produce and host a national-level event."

Ohio State University earned the 2008 IHSA team title. The nationals were held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, Calif.

MTSU's Adult Student Services presented scholarships to student members of the Older Wiser Learners organization, or OWLs, at the recent OWLs Picnic, celebrating their accomplishments and encouraging them to continue their educations.

The OWLs student organization distributes four different types of scholarships each year. There are 10 Academic Service Scholarships for students with GPAs higher than 3.0 and two OWLs Enrichment Scholar-ships for students whose GPAs fall between 2.5 and 2.99. There also are two scholarships funded by Marcus Nickell in honor of his two daughters, who returned to college following divorces to earn teaching degrees to support themselves.

The Jane Nickell Taylor Scholarship was awarded to Daphne Carter Page of Lancaster, Tenn., who is majoring in social work and will graduate in December, and Keri Lorene Brunstad of Murfreesboro, who is majoring in accounting and will graduate in spring 2009.

The Joan Nickell Bailey Scholarship was awarded to Virginia Ragsdale of Columbia, Tenn., who is a senior majoring in education and a single mother of two.

The OWLs Enrichment Scholarships were awarded to Kirsten Dee Julsgard of Murfreesboro, a single mother of two with a double major in philosophy and English, and Sarah Martin, a mother of three who is majoring in nursing and commutes from Lafayette, Tenn.

The OWLs Academic Service Scholarships were awarded to:

* Mike Choate of Nashville, a chemistry major;

* Andrew Geerts of Murfreesboro, who is majoring in elementary and special education;

* Suzanne Hicks of Murfreesboro, a psychology major;

* Alicia Marin of Smyrna, who is majoring in elementary and special education;

* Michelle Merrymon of Murfreesboro, a nursing major;

* Madonna Myers of Murfreesboro, a science education major;

* Tara Neville of Mt. Juliet, who is majoring in accounting;

* Linda Olivier of Smyrna, a nursing major;

* Ellen Samford of Murfreesboro, who is majoring in nursing; and

* Cindy Trail of Manchester, who is majoring in human sciences.

For more information about Adult Student Services, visit the Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~owls.

The McNair Scholars Program will blast off toward its July 30-31 summer destination with the McNair Blastoff, which will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 12, in the James Union Building's Hazlewood Dining Room.

Twenty-seven McNair Scholars are involved in the eight-week summer research program. Program Coordinator Steve Saunders said 25 students are conducting research at MTSU, one at Stanford University in California and one overseas.

"This is the event that launches the summer research program," Saunders said. "We include both the students and their faculty mentors to unveil the latest McNair Research Review and preview what's ahead in the coming weeks."

Saunders said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee once again will be the blastoff's special guest. Dr. Diane Miller, McNair Scholars Program director, also will share remarks.

Student researchers, their disciplines and mentors include:

Dean Andrews (political science), Dr. Clyde Willis; Aaron Bennett (chemistry), Dr. Ngee Chong; Eterial Burrell (biology), Dr. John Zamora; Jonathan Copeland (music performance), Dr. Todd Waldecker; Anjelica Crawford (psychology), Dr. Rick Short; Ryan Darrow (history), Dr. Pippa Holloway; Christian Davenport (psychology), Dr. Kathleen Darby; Jordan Dawdy (animal science), Drs. Kevin Downs and Angela Mertig; Lauren Easley (mathematics), Dr. Julie Murdock; Jason Gerald (finance), Dr. William Ford;

Jasmine Gray (journalism), Dr. Jennifer Woodard; Suzanne Hicks (psychology), Drs. Gloria Hamilton and Rebecca Seipelt; Tiffany Hughes (English), Dr. Susan Hopkirk; Ryne Joyner (computer information systems), Dr. Charles Apigian; Daniel Levic (biology), Dr. Matthew Elrod-Erickson; Corderyl Martin (music), Dr. Felicia Miyakawa; Stephanie Mills (music performance/violin), Dr. Michael Linton; Jeremy Minton (psychology), Dr. Gloria Hamilton; Rahma Mohamed (social work), Dr. Margaret Fontanesi-Seime; Phillip Njorge (accounting), Dr. E. Anthon Eff;

Brittany Oliver (psychology), Dr. Gloria Hamilton; Sandra Plummer (social work), Dr. Kim Ujcich Ward; Frederick Quimbley (history), Dr. Adonijah Bakari; Danielle Ross (psychology), Dr. Aimee Holt; Christina Runkel (history), Dr. Derek Frisby; Alecia Smith (business finance), Dr. Oscar Diaz; and Leonella Carrieco (biology), Dr. Sandra Johnson.

Department of Aerospace officials are zooming down the runway, awaiting the takeoff of the 50th anniversary of the MTSU Aerospace Workshop for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers in middle Tennessee.

Aerospace Chair Wayne Dornan and Phyl Taylor, assistant workshop director for the past 15 years, hope to make the June 9-27 golden anniversary edition extra-special.

Dornan said he hopes to coax Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and other elected officials to visit during this year's three-week basic workshop.

While three other universities statewide also offer aerospace workshops, none can say they started before the summer of 1958.

"We're the oldest-running workshop in the nation," Dornan said.

"We're the oldest and the best," added Taylor, who has been helping various department chairs and workshop directors for 18 years.

A bus trip to the Pensacola, Fla., Naval Museum June 18-20 will be one of the highlights.

Murfreesboro resident and former NASA astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson is scheduled to speak to the teachers on Friday, June 27, the final day of the workshop, just before the group's graduation luncheon.

"We have a real exciting program," Taylor said. "How many people get to meet an astronaut who has flown five times into space and (was part of the crew that) docked with the (Russian) spacecraft Mir?"

Other regional experts and MTSU faculty will share their knowledge with the educators. They include:

* Terry Dorris, MTSU's pilot and aerospace instructor, who will speak Tuesday, June 10;

* Dr. Paul Craig, professor and former chair, who also will speak June 10;

* Jana Cornell-Alverdes, who will discuss homeland security on June 11;

* Chad Gehrke, in charge of fixed base operations at Murfreesboro Airport, and John Black, manager of the Smyrna Air Center, who will jointly speak on Thursday, June 12;

* Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Carnduff, Civil Air Patrol-USAF liaison at McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, who will speak on June 12;

* John Black, who is a Warren County deputy sheriff involved with the DARE program and flies the county helicopter, who will discuss helicopters Monday, June 16, at the MTSU airport hangar;

* Joe Hawkins, a nationally recognized airplane maintenance expert, who will speak June 16;

* Will Robertson, a NASA official who has been a speaker for a number of years, scheduled for Tuesday, June 17; and

* Tom Fielder, a Southwest Airlines pilot.

Taylor said various activities (egg drop, balloons and rockets, etc.) would help the educators motivate their students.

"This is a hard time to teach," she said. "The workshop motivates the students to learn. The teachers love this. By the end of the workshop, my advanced workshop (which is conducted every other year) will be filled up for 2009."

Dornan said educators also receive two hours of free flight instruction during the workshop.

For more information, contact Taylor at petaylor@ mtsu.edu or 615-898-2788.

Summer enrollment appears to be on the decline for the third straight year, an official in MTSU Enrollment Services said.

By mid-May, enrollment was down by 541 students, said Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services.

Huddleston compared the May 14 enrollment total of 7,326 with that of May 14, 2007, which was 7,867.

She said she would not submit final totals to the Tennessee Board of Regents until the last week in July. The 2007 final summer census was 8,845.

"We've still got a ways to go this summer," Huddleston said, mentioning both the June and July terms. "We won't know until the end (of summer), but it's the third consecutive year that we've had a declining summer enrollment."

Huddleston said students have until Monday, June 2, to register for the June term and until Monday, July 7, to register for the July term.

She said high gas prices might be contributing to fewer commuter students taking classes on campus.

However, officials in the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning offered another perspective.

"We are trying to increase online offerings in the summer so factors such as gas prices do not deter students' desires to attend in the summer," said Jana Hinz, financial analyst and summer-school director for the college. "They can still earn credit wherever they are."

Hinz added that "a lack of financial aid for students in the summer is a factor" in the declining summer enrollments.

"If students have used their financial-aid allotment in the fall and spring semesters, there is none left for summer," she said, noting that "sometimes students just want to take a break in the summer."

Dr. Andrew Owusu, assistant professor of health and human performance at MTSU, recently released the initial findings from a 2007 study that was the first of its kind to be conducted nationwide in Ghana, West Africa, on the health habits and health-risk behaviors of adolescents.

By documenting the behaviors and factors that contribute to the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, the researcher said his goal is to help create a comprehensive system for monitoring the health-risk behaviors among Ghana's youth.

Beginning in summer 2006, Owusu and his colleagues, working on behalf of MTSU's Department of Health and Human Performance, partnered with the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help build capacity for monitoring health behavior among youth in Ghana.

This initiative--which was undertaken in conjunction with the School Health Education Program unit, also known as SHEP-- involved introducing and implementing the Global School-Based Student Health Survey in Ghana. The GSHS is part of the WHO's STEPSwise approach to monitoring health behaviors in member countries, including Ghana. For his unprecedented research endeavor, Owusu administered a GSHS instrument that utilized a two-stage cluster sample designed to produce a representative sample of students, ages 13 to 15, from 75 schools in all 10 regions of Ghana.

As the primary investigator and country coordinator for the GSHS partnership project, Owusu oversaw the surveying of 6,236 youths ranging in age from 12 to 16. The just-completed findings surround the survey's nine categories of health risk, including dietary behaviors, hygiene, sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, unintended pregnancy, nutrition, and violence and unintentional injury.

A native of Ghana, Owusu is a four-time African Champion, an eight-time All-American and a three-time Olympic athlete in the triple jump, with a lifelong personal and professional interest in health and fitness behaviors. Owusu said he sincerely believes that to enact positive change in health behaviors, it is important to monitor the health of secondary-school students through the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring system. Such a system, he noted, will enhance the promotion of school health programs in Ghana through education, teacher training and program evaluation.

"Currently, 85 percent of the world's adolescent populations live in developing countries," he observed, "yet because of lack of adequate research, there is a gap in data on the health-risk behaviors of this important population segment."

Owusu said the GSHS was first developed in 2001 through a collaborative effort of the WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, with technical assistance from the CDC.

Among Owusu's initial findings related to the youths' (ages 12-16) overall basic hygiene:

* 13.7 percent of the students surveyed "usually" had not cleaned/brushed their teeth in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.

* 9.1 percent of the students surveyed reported that they had "never or rarely" washed their hands in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.

* 12.4 percent of the students surveyed had "never or rarely" washed their hands after using the toilet in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.

* 14.7 percent of the students surveyed reported that they "never or rarely" used soap when washing their hands in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.

Of the more than 3,588 students ages 13 to 15 who were surveyed, Owusu said 1,466, or 40.8 percent, reported that they had never talked to a parent about HIV/AIDS. Fewer of these students--1,283, or 34 percent--reported that they were not aware of the possibility of HIV/AIDS transmission from a pregnant mother to child.

"The GSHS baseline data show that information about HIV infection is lacking in a number of areas for Ghana's youth ages 13 to 15," Owusu noted. "Many of those who are sexually active are engaging in behaviors that expose them to risk of infection."

With continuing support from MTSU, SHEP, WHO and CDC, Owusu said he and his colleagues will return to Ghana in September to expand the surveillance system to cover health-risk behaviors of youth who are ages 16 to 19. The researcher said he expects to oversee the survey of about 5,000 high-schoolers regarding their health habits and related risk behaviors, making Ghana the first country in Africa to have a comprehensive health-risk behavior monitoring system for youth ages 13 to 19.

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WASH UP FOR HEALTH--Elementary-school children in Ghana wash their hands as part of their hygiene education, which is included in the national school-hygiene campaign. Dr. Andrew Owusu of MTSU is conducting unprecedented national research on the health behaviors among school youth in Ghana. photo submitted