Innovations 2023

MAKING MOON BEAMS

MTSU’s Concrete Industry Management program is developing the building materials for life (and launch) on the moon.

Page 18

Senior Editor

Drew Ruble

Associate Editor

Carol Stuart

Contributing Editor

Nancy Broden

Contributing Writers

Rachel Booher, Stephanie Wagner, Patsy Weiler, Randy Weiler

Senior Director of Marketing

Kara Hooper

Assistant Director of Marketing

Keith Dotson

Graphic Designer

Brian Evans

University Photographers

James Cessna, Andy Heidt, J. Intintoli, Cat Curtis Murphy

University President

Sidney A. McPhee

University Provost

Mark Byrnes

Dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences

Greg Van Patten

Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Andrew Oppmann

1,550 copies printed at Pollock Printing, Nashville, Tennessee Produced by MTSU Creative and Visual Services

Tech Talent

0223-1753 / Middle Tennessee State University does not discriminate against students, employees, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs, and activities sponsored by MTSU. The Interim Assistant to the President for Institutional Equity and Compliance has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and can be reached at Cope Administration Building 116, 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; Christy.Sigler@mtsu.edu; or 615-898-2185. The MTSU policy on non-discrimination can be found at mtsu.edu/iec.

Three

Man on a Mission

My adult life has revolved around science. As a youngster, I was fascinated with insects—whatever I could find in my backyard—with dinosaurs, and by French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau’s work airing on television. When I was young, I imagined I would be a marine biologist rather than a chemistry professorturned-dean for the MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences. But I’m so happy things turned out just the way they did.

research opportunities, laboratory courses in the sciences, internships at companies, and opportunities to work on the development of real-world computing tools.

The result? We supply the local workforce with well-prepared graduates, and we expose them to scholarship (learning at a high level), creative activity, and research.

The state has invested generously in our facilities through the years. We opened a new Concrete and Construction Management building in 2022. We have broken ground on the new Applied Engineering Building, and we have secured important commitments of private donations, both from individuals and from industry, to support the project. Finally, we are looking forward to the renovation of MTSU’s most iconic and historic building, Kirksey Old Main.

We are currently developing a new five-year strategic plan for the college that will be unveiled this fall. Under this plan we will continue to work to welcome all students, to instill academic excellence, and to help them reach their goals.

I am excited to be where I am to witness the excellence and growth we are seeing in CBAS. The college enrolls more than 5,000 undergraduate students and 350-plus graduate students who are educated and supported by 400 faculty and staff. Students can choose from 11 departments that house dozens of programs and scores of cutting-edge research opportunities.

Enrollment is strong for our college, and I believe this is due in large part to our burgeoning research success and our attractive programs that prepare students for stable, lucrative, 21st century jobs. CBAS attracts a wide range of students from different backgrounds and with different kinds of preparation. We have a mission to serve every student who comes here by helping them reach their potential, and we do that very well.

Our faculty use innovative teaching methods in their classrooms to involve students in learning. Over the past few years, we have invested heavily in a new generation of bright, energetic faculty who incorporate active learning and numerous examples of experiential learning to prepare our students. Experiential learning in our college includes

As mentioned above, we are rapidly expanding our research productivity. MTSU’s designation in 2022 as a Carnegie R2 (high research activity) institution was a significant external recognition of that growth. While research funding growth remains an objective, the real “gold” is the generation of new knowledge and the impact research has on our students’ learning. We plan to use our success in research funding to help bolster our graduate programs.

When you read this latest edition of Innovations, I think you will see the evidence of the strengths I have mentioned above and will understand why I am so excited to be in the position I’m in.

Sincerely,

Greg Van Patten Dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences

OUR ATTRACTIVE PROGRAMS . . . PREPARE STUDENTS FOR STABLE, LUCRATIVE, 21ST CENTURY JOBS.

QUANTUM EDUCATION EMERGES WITH UNLIMITED POTENTIAL AT MTSU

by Randy Weiler

The new field of quantum information science has been growing across the U.S. and globally, and now it has been developed for students and scholars to study at MTSU.

The College of Basic and Applied Sciences and the Physics Department recently launched a website (mtsu.edu/quantum) to introduce the MTSU Quantum Science Initiative taking shape at the University, promoting faculty efforts in research, education, and workforce development in the field of quantum science.

As part of MTSU quantum education efforts, computational quantum physics expert Hanna Terletska has piloted a new interdisciplinary undergraduate course on quantum computing for MTSU students from different departments within the college.

“It’s critical that our students have access to and are trained for the 21st century jobs and workforce skills,” said Terletska, an associate professor. “MTSU has a unique opportunity to position itself as a hub for quantum science and education in the middle Tennessee region, with the potential to attract top talent to MTSU.”

Seventeen MTSU students took Introduction to Quantum Computing for the first time during the Spring 2023 semester. It is for all STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) majors.

The MTSU initiative aims to integrate quantum concepts into existing courses and programs, train students in quantum science, and develop new educational programs at all levels, from K–20 (kindergarten to graduate degree).

THE RIGHT STUFF

The potential benefits of 21st century technologies built on quantum information science and materials are staggering. This includes quantum computers, highly efficient solar cells, and room-temperature superconductors that would generate, transmit, and store electricity with almost no loss.

Hence, conquering the behavior of quantum materials can bolster economies, advance the quality of life, and address the unprecedented growth in global energy needs. Governments all over the globe and large multinational companies have launched significant quantum material research initiatives and have invested heavily in related technologies and education.

“We call these materials ‘quantum’ to highlight the exotic properties emerging in these materials coming purely from quantum physics effects,” Terletska said. “The magic comes from millions of thousands of interacting electrons, which at the atomic and subatomic scales start to also have wavelike properties. At this level, quantum physics really kicks in, and electrons start to exhibit quantum effects like tunneling, interference, entanglement, and topological order.

“Research in this field requires complex many-body numerical algorithms and access to powerful supercomputers.”

Terletska uses XSEDE supercomputing resources funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has access to the world’s most powerful computers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

A first-generation college student from Ukraine, Terletska immigrated to the United States, first earning her M.S. at Minnesota State, then a Ph.D. at Florida State University, followed by several postdoctoral trainings at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Louisiana State University, Ames National Laboratory, and University of Michigan, and finally the faculty position at MTSU.

Terletska is MTSU’s first NSF Early Career Award recipient—the most prestigious national honor for

young faculty—and her NSF fundings (two existing grants totaling about $635,000) are in the area of computational study of quantum materials, with strong correlations and impurities and imperfections.

Terletska has applied for two NSF grants ($1 million and $800,000) and one from the U.S. Department of Energy ($500,000). MTSU anticipates hearing results from those submissions later this year.

Hopes of more funding being directed to MTSU’s quantum efforts are high. The U.S. government has identified quantum research and education as key tenets of science and technology, as outlined in the National Quantum Initiative Act (2018), and major U.S. federal science and research agencies including the NSF, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy are supporting this area of research.

“Our efforts align perfectly with MTSU’s ongoing efforts to maintain its [Carnegie] R2 high research activity status by growing and expanding in this strategically important research focus,” Terletska said.

CBAS Dean Greg Van Patten said as MTSU “continues to build our research portfolio and to ascend through the R2 ranks, we must focus energy and resources into areas where we have competitive advantages.”

Computational quantum physics expert Hanna Terletska has piloted a new interdisciplinary undergraduate course on quantum computing.

According to Van Patten, recent successes in the area of quantum science, from Terletska and others, make this an emerging area of strength for MTSU.

“We have amassed support from federal agencies, established collaborations with other universities, and have excited interest from a number of undergraduate and graduate students who see future opportunities in the eventual commercialization of quantum information technology,” he said.

among others, “to provide experiential training and increase the quantum workforce in the Southeast region,” she said. For example, MTSU is working together with Fisk and with Vanderbilt University’s Wond’ry innovation center on educational workshops for training students in quantum.

Recruiting a diverse and interdisciplinary pool of students is part of the efforts. Terletska recently conducted quantum workshops with MTSU Women in STEM Center students, Vanderbilt students, and Fisk students. Last fall, Terletska and Neda Naseri, an MTSU Physics lecturer, conducted a quantum workshop for Riverdale High School students who had been invited to campus by Biology Department Chair Dennis Mullen. Future workshops are planned.

Through the regional university partnerships, MTSU’s initiative endeavors to create a network of researchers and students who can collaborate to tackle some of the biggest challenges in the field, Terletska said. Ultimately, the effort will provide MTSU students with the training necessary for the rising job market and career opportunities in the quantum sector, both locally and nationwide.

Quantum information science squarely fits the college’s mission, Van Patten said, in that it “focuses on preparing students at all levels for successful careers across a range of scientific and technical fields, on promoting scholarship and scientific inquiry, and on addressing key scientific challenges that face our nation.”

“I’m excited that MTSU is involved in moving this field forward,” he summed up.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

Joining Terletska in the initiative is Physics and Astronomy Chair Ron Henderson.

Henderson said MTSU Physics majors are eager to find ways to enter the quantum workforce.

“In addition to Dr. Terletska’s quantum computing class, we anticipate adding future courses and eventually a concentration in Quantum Science to provide a pathway to these new careers for our majors,” he said. “We are also partnering with local community colleges to extend this access to more students.”

With the recently submitted NSF grant, Terletska is partnering with Fisk University in Nashville, the University of Tennessee–Chattanooga, Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, and Auburn University in Alabama,

The initiative also seeks to establish partnerships with industry partners and K–20 educators to foster the development of a quantum-ready workforce in Tennessee, she said.

To promote diversity and inclusion, the initiative will foster an interdisciplinary collaborative environment and engage underrepresented groups, Terletska added. This includes recruiting women and first-generation and minority students and introducing quantum concepts through teacher workshops, high school camps, and other events.

“Our goal is to provide access to quantum education and research resources to a broad and diverse community and inspire individuals from all backgrounds to participate in quantum science,” Terletska said. “Through these efforts, we aim to nurture the next generation of quantum leaders and support the creation of a robust quantum ecosystem in Tennessee, positioning MTSU as a leader in this field in the region.”

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

More information at mtsu.edu/quantum

ULTIMATELY, THE EFFORT WILL PROVIDE MTSU STUDENTS WITH THE TRAINING NECESSARY FOR THE RISING JOB MARKET AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE QUANTUM SECTOR.

A partnership putting students on a path to become doctors across rural Tennessee crosses the midway point

by Randy Weiler

Four trailblazing MTSU students successfully advanced in a special partnership with Meharry Medical College School of Medicine in Nashville last fall, even before graduating from MTSU in spring 2023.

“We have made it to medical school,” an exuberant Maria Hite of La Vergne said of herself and classmates Claire Ritter of Nashville, Pierce Creighton of Lascassas, and Kirolos Michael of Brentwood.

This cohort of four successfully completed the first three years of study in prescribed undergraduate premedical school curriculum at MTSU and is already more than a year into four years of medical school study.

It’s all part of the Medical School Early Acceptance Program (MSEAP), a collaboration between MTSU’s College of Basic and Applied Sciences and Meharry.

The program intends to increase the number of primary care physicians serving medically underserved populations as well as alleviate health care disparities in rural Tennessee. A three-year residency in primary care in a rural or underserved area of Tennessee, along with a two-year post-residency commitment, is required of MSEAP participants.

Tennessee has fewer primary care physicians per capita than the national average. Statewide, there is one primary care doctor per 1,390 people, according to 2019 County Health Rankings. The shortage is even more acute in rural counties. In Morgan County in east Tennessee, for instance, there is one primary care physician for every 21,550 citizens.

The program launched in 2018, with the first freshmen entering MTSU in fall 2019. Gov. Bill Lee, who proposed funding for the program, has continued that funding in each successive state budget.

“We can drastically improve our outcomes through programs like this,” Lee said at the program’s launch. “I’ve been to those communities. I’ve talked to those folks. I’ve seen the situations that they’re in. This is a great opportunity for us to begin addressing that great need in this state.”

Recipe for Success

In addition to the inaugural cohort of Hite, Ritter, Creighton, and Michael, four more students are entering Meharry for 2023–24 after recently finishing their third year of the program at MTSU. Eight others just completed their second year at MTSU, and four freshmen advanced, for a total of

20 program participants prior to a new class beginning at MTSU this fall.

CBAS Dean Greg Van Patten described those who join the program as “highly talented and compassionate students who want to make a difference for people in the state by making top-notch health care accessible to everybody.”

“It’s a great program that will benefit the people of Tennessee, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity for these top students,” Van Patten said. “The program accelerates their pathway to become doctors and also provides a hefty scholarship for all seven years they are in college and medical school. It’s truly a win-win for academically talented students who want to become doctors.”

As a result of an influx of new state funding in 2023, qualifying MSEAP students do not pay tuition or fees at either school.

The program is limited to incoming freshmen from Tennessee. Applicants are required to have at least a 3.5 GPA and a minimum 28 ACT score to be considered for the program.

At the time of her completed coursework at MTSU and early enrollment at Meharry, Hite said what the group has

achieved already“is a huge accomplishment, but we still have a long journey ahead: four years of medical school, licensing exams, years of residency, and potentially fellowships. It’s what we signed up for, but that doesn’t make it any less daunting.”

Hite said she keeps the end goal in mind.

“We will help improve access to health care by caring for medically underserved communities,” she said. “This mission helps keep me focused and motivated, especially on the difficult days.”

She added that being a competitive gymnast initially sparked her interest in studying medicine.

“By learning skills and dealing with injuries, I became interested in how the human body worked and healed,” said Hite, a native of China. “In high school, I got the opportunity to shadow my pediatrician. I was able to see the connections primary care physicians can make with patients.

“As a physician, I want to ensure that a person’s health does not prevent them from living their life to the fullest.”

First cohort of MTSU-Meharry program (l–r): Pierce Creighton, Claire Ritter, Maria Hite, and Kirolos Michael

TECH TALENT

by Jimmy Hart and Drew Ruble

Technological advances are leading to an exponential increase in the amount of data being generated and collected across many industries. In fields such as medicine and manufacturing, data helps businesses understand where they have been so they can make informed decisions and develop strategies about the present and the future.

What those industries need is people who know how to work with data and analyze it.

MTSU began offering data science-related courses 13 years ago. More recently, the University transitioned to offering Data Science as a full undergraduate degree program. In fall 2022, the University’s Data Science program added a master’s degree. That development meshed seamlessly with the 2021 incorporation of Data Science into MTSU’s doctoral program in Computational Science and the graduate certificate program launched back in 2020.

Students earning bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Data Science at MTSU take courses in programming, statistics, analytics, databases, and machine learning. Undergraduates select a cognate in inferential thinking, business intelligence, or machine learning. Students also put those skills to use through real world projects, earning degrees that truly make them career ready.

MTSU’s undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral Data Science programs create much-needed problem-solvers

They enter a job market where entry-level salaries average $70,000–$85,000 for “data scientists” skilled at analyzing and interpreting data. The Bureau of Labor’s employment statistics project an increase in Tennessee’s data science-related employment growth greater than the national average. In addition, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission has been working with postsecondary institutions since 2020 to increase the number of computer science and data analytics degrees by 20% over a five-year period. Data Science programs at MTSU:

• B.S. in Data Science

• M.S. in Data Science

• Graduate certificate in Data Science

• Ph.D. in Computational and Data Science

The Data Science program has grown exponentially over the past three years. The Spring 2023 semester had:

• 81 undergraduate majors

• 15 earning B.S. degrees in May 2023

• 6 of those receiving CBAS Honor Certificates

• 46 undergraduate minors

• 47 master’s level students enrolled

• 17 of those working toward a graduate certificate

• 30 pursuing their M.S. degrees

• 33 Ph.D. students in the Computational and Data Science program

The doctoral program began in 2010 as a Computational Science Ph.D. but was upgraded in 2021 to a Computational and Data Science Ph.D. Today the program has:

• 40+ faculty members representing 8 CBAS departments

• 45 Ph.D. graduates

• Graduates working at world-renowned employers such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Johns Hopkins University, to name a few

• 4 graduates who are now MTSU tenure-track faculty members in Computer Science or Mathematical Sciences

• Produced research in areas including machine learning, computational chemistry, computational neuroscience, and the COVID-19 epidemic

• Doctoral students supporting the University’s teaching and research mission

• Doctoral students employed in graduate teaching assistantships across CBAS departments

• Doctoral students who have worked with professors to develop and publish research papers and submit grant applications

THE SCIENCE OF COLLABORATION

MTSU’s Tennessee STEM Education Center focuses on outreach and leadership in the wider science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education community

by Patsy Weiler and Stephanie Wagner

MTSU launched into the 21st century world of STEM education with help from a $300,000 NASA grant to open a small center on campus focused on programming and support for Tennessee teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Two decades later, the Tennessee STEM Education Center (TSEC) remains an outreach arm of MTSU aimed at improving K–20 education in science, technology, engineering, and math, both locally and nationally.

These days, it has rocketed from a single star to become a bright constellation in the STEM education universe, building a scientific community and research culture through collaboration, outreach, and vital grant funding, and has generated numerous grants from prestigious organizations including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Institute of Educational Sciences. The center generates millions of dollars in external funding from a plethora of proposals that have deeply benefited MTSU.

STEADY RISE

When it started around 1999, the center was called the Tennessee Math, Science and Technology Education Center because NASA would not let MTSU call itself a STEM center—at the time, engineering courses were not offered at the University.

After Tom Cheatham was appointed the director in 2012, the former College of Basic and Applied Sciences dean recommended changing the name to the Tennessee STEM Education Center, which the Tennessee Board of Regents approved.

Under his watch, the center continued to assist with professional development for Tennessee’s STEM teachers, strove to publish what staff and faculty were developing and learning as best practices, and supported University faculty in STEM education grant funding, leaving a strong foundation to build upon for future scholars.

A high-energy Greg Rushton assumed the TSEC reins in 2018, with a laser focus on STEM education, innovation, and research.

Before moving to his new Southern address, he worked at New York’s Stony Brook University on Long Island as associate director of the Institute for STEM Education and an associate professor of chemistry. Over the course of his career, he has directed or co-directed more than 25 research or professional development projects, with external awards exceeding $18 million since 2005.

“The success I’ve experienced during my academic career has come in large part from the invitation of others to join such an endeavor; I’m now in a position to do the same for others,” Rushton said.

TSEC helps develop faculty research by having associate and assistant directors from various STEM departments across campus, as well as faculty fellows, serve as part of the center’s leadership team.

Current associate directors are Sarah Bleiler-Baxter (Mathematical Sciences), Grant Gardner (Biology), Ying Jin (Psychology), Chaney Mosley (Agriculture), and Kevin Ragland.

Rushton has a solid mission in mind for TSEC: serve as a model of expertise and leadership in STEM education through the growth of internal and external research initiatives, fostering of partnerships, and expansion of educational programs, while seeking to engage with other stakeholders invested in STEM education.

“TSEC is positioned well, within MTSU, Tennessee, and the Southeast, for continued growth as a STEM leader for educators in both K–12 and higher education, as well as a provider of engaging experiences for K–12 students to explore STEM as a career path or as a lifelong learner,” said Rushton, who recently also served as interim co-director for strategic growth in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).

Rushton and his dynamic staff equate the center to a strong tree with deep roots and many branches. The roots extend to the earliest days when the University opened in 1911 to prepare teachers; now, slightly more than a century later, advocating for STEM educators is a top TSEC priority. Hundreds of branches represent the many students, teachers, and STEM education researchers who have benefited from these efforts. Supporting the branches are strong limbs of faculty collaboration, community outreach, undergraduate and graduate student mentoring, and research—limbs that continue to grow.

RESEARCH-DRIVEN

A prime example of the type of collaboration Rushton seeks is when MTSU was selected by the Institute of Education Sciences as a partner institution on a nearly $1 million research grant awarded to the state.

The award supports research on the effectiveness of Tennessee Pathways, an initiative that aligns K–12 and postsecondary schools with industry to provide students with the relevant education and training necessary to seamlessly enter the workforce.

Mosley, assistant professor for Agricultural Education, serves as MTSU’s principal investigator. He works with staff from the Tennessee Department of Education, University of Tennessee, University of Massachusetts, and Education Strategy Group on the grant project.

MTSU WAS SELECTED BY THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES AS A PARTNER INSTITUTION ON A NEARLY $1 MILLION RESEARCH GRANT AWARDED TO THE STATE.

Another exemplary project is a four-year, $609,435 award from the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. It’s a collaborative research effort—“Investigating Classroom Discourse in Active Learning Environments for Large Enrollment Chemistry Courses”—aiming to serve the national interest.

MTSU’s researchers are joined by investigators from the universities of Iowa and Arizona and Rushton’s former home, Stony Brook University.

COMMUNITY-MINDED

Outreach designed to elevate, empower, and engage a strong network of STEM educators and students is vital to the center’s mission.

The Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference, hosted by TSEC, is an opportunity for regional researchers to connect, collaborate, and share about their ongoing work. Each annual conference has seen increases in submissions, participating institutions, and states and other countries represented.

Tennessee's Posters at the Capitol, an event in Nashville, annually showcases undergraduate research to state

legislators and policymakers. Not only does MTSU take an average of seven undergraduate students featuring their research each year, but TSEC staff members coordinate organizational details for all participating universities.

The annual STEM Expo is a gathering of 600–800 fifth- through 12th-grade students from the region who bring their STEM projects to the MTSU campus to be evaluated.

TSEC also supports STEAM-a-Palooza at the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring in Murfreesboro.

And TSEC is actively involved with the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, a statewide organization working with the Tennessee Department of Education to make STEM learning better and more accessible. The state administers Battelle Foundation grants, creating learning hubs across Tennessee. MTSU receives one of these for its Middle Tennessee STEM Innovation Hub, where center staff work with K–12 STEM educators.

Last but not least, center staff members help host grant-writing workshops and collaboration opportunities to support research at MTSU. Such initiatives are at the heart

Greg Rushton, TSEC director

of what TSEC exists to do—to help expand the total number of faculty at MTSU who are interested in, and can successfully write, grants and contracts to support their scholarship.

“Sustained research over time gains attention as projects make a difference locally, within the state, nationally, and internationally,” David Butler, vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies, said of the benefits of this faculty research focus. “The more grants and contracts received, and the more scholarship produced following the funding, the higher the visibility of the University. This higher level of visibility increases the reputation and thus the ability to successfully secure more grants and contracts in the future in a positive spiral.

“Humanities, art, business, science, or social science … there is funding available for their scholarship … to support their work. Often a project that is small can be made larger in size and scope with grant and contract funding, creating a larger influence for the scholarship produced and the faculty members and students involved in the project,” Butler added.

Rushton said TSEC embraces its roles in research and service because they help us “understand and contribute to our needs as a society.”

“We are encountering our future quicker than at any time in history,” he added. “Consider Alexa and Siri, Amazon and Apple’s digital voice assistants, both applications of artificial intelligence, or AI. Most of us increasingly use this technology in our daily lives that barely more than a decade ago was largely unknown.

“Expanding STEM education and developing a strong research enterprise—through basic, applied, and experimental approaches—prepares MTSU to be a catalyst of innovation and recognized as a thought leader not only in Tennessee, but across the country and our world in a rapidly growing arena. TSEC is excited to take a key role in leading this growth and development.”

Rubber Meets Road

The following are some examples of the faculty TSEC has collaborated with to create informal, cooperative faculty research opportunities.

Chaney Mosley, assistant professor of Agricultural Education

Mosley’s field of research is career and technical education, agricultural education, and teacher professional development. Mosley is spearheading the collaboration of a $750,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant involving three universities. The threeyear research endeavor, which includes MTSU students, will investigate soil management practices for improved soil health and the related effects on crop and animal productivity, food quality, and economic viability of integrated farming systems.

He said his most memorable research project is a collaborative grant that addresses farm and ranch stress in the southern region of the United States. “This grant involves leading a collaborative team of agricultural education faculty from 13 states as well as Puerto Rico to investigate school-based agricultural education teacher knowledge, opinions, and professional development needs associated with suicide and experiences with student suicide,” Mosley said. “Results of research studies will inform outreach efforts targeting agriculture teachers, so that they are better prepared to identify and respond to suicide ideation. This will be the most memorable project of my academic career. It represents the first funded project for which I am site primary investigator, and the topic is of great importance to me, having experienced student suicide as an educator. Also, because our research will lead to resources that support our target audience, it’s an excellent example of putting research into practice, which is part of what motivates me to conduct research.”

Tiffany Rogers, assistant professor of Psychology

Rogers’ field of research is social and affective neuroscience. Her most recent grant submission was for an Academic Research Enhancement Award for undergraduate-focused institutions through the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH).

“This grant is in collaboration with Dr. Deranda Lester of the University of Memphis,” Rogers said. “The grant would allow

students of each institution, MTSU and U of M, to cross-train by traveling to each institution and learning the techniques of each researcher, myself, and Dr. Lester. The students would also be mentored by each researcher, and students could be paid for their work in the labs.”

Jennifer Kaplan, director of MTSU’s Mathematics and Science Education Ph.D. program

Passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math education, Kaplan in 2023 earned her fourth National Science Foundation grant to research student thinking in STEM and train STEM instructors to improve student learning.

Kaplan landed $154,929 in funding from the NSF to develop innovative assessments that analyze how undergraduate students use “interdisciplinary thinking”—using both a scientific and mathematical thinking—to understand scientific topics.

“In other words, how students engage in making sense of quantitative problems in biology, chemistry, and physics,” said Kaplan, who is also a professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. “Mathematical sensemaking in science focuses on students’ ability to blend core disciplinary science ideas with cross-cutting mathematical concepts, such as patterns and proportions, while engaging in scientific practices such as computational thinking, making predictions, and reasoning from evidence.”

Kaplan said since STEM fields are so interrelated, it is critical that students can integrate these different modes of thinking to solve problems and achieve what is known as “three-dimensional” learning.

“These assessments will reveal much more about student thinking than any assessments currently in use and will be essential in designing high-quality instruction that fosters mathematical sensemaking in science,” said Kaplan, who added the project will also provide professional development to instructors. “Findings from this project should help inform teaching practice in undergraduate STEM courses and help students foster computational thinking skills.”

Kaplan, who grew up in Massachusetts, spent 10 years as an accomplished high school mathematics teacher herself before deciding to pursue a Ph.D. and dive into STEM-education research, with a primary focus on statistics education.

In addition to this recent grant, she has earned more than $943,000 from the NSF for her work as both a principal and co-principal investigator on three other projects.

Several other STEM education grants funded this year included projects led by Alyson Lischka (Math), Liz Barnes (Biology), Yi Gu (Computer Science), Kevin Ragland (TSEC), and Hanna Terletska (Physics). Combined, these show MTSU’s considerable strength in STEM education research.

Chaney Mosley

Tiffany Rogers

Jennifer Kaplan

by Drew Ruble

MTSU’s Concrete Industry Management program is developing the building materials for life (and launch) on the moon

There’s a concrete True Blue connection to NASA’s plan to return to the moon in 2026 and establish a human settlement by 2035.

NASA selected the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to lead the federal agency’s lunar habitat project, a series of increasingly complex missions that will culminate in rocket flights from the moon to Mars.

Marshall in turn aligned with an elite group of commercial and academic partners nationwide to accomplish the mission arguably the most ambitious construction project in human history.

Among them is MTSU’s renowned Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program, the oldest and biggest of its kind at a higher education institution in the nation.

CIM is taking the lead on the development of construction materials made from moon soil to build needed infrastructure, including habitats, landing pads, roadways, berms, and blast shields.

Said another way, MTSU’s concrete program is developing “moon beams” to build in outer space.

A True Blue Moon Print

Building on the moon will look quite different from construction on Earth.

First of all, ferrying loads of construction materials to the moon is financially and environmentally dubious.

In fact, the only cargo NASA plans to send is a large umbrella-like structure to create an atmosphere in which astronauts can work (remember, there’s limited gravity on the moon) and a 3D printer to print structures.

All the raw materials needed for construction will be mined from the surface of the moon.

Enter MTSU.

The good folks in Huntsville may be rocket scientists, but experts in concrete chemistry they are not. They smartly reached out to MTSU’s CIM program for help.

Not surprisingly, it turns out there’s some unique chemistry involved in producing lunar construction materials.

MTSU is busily testing terrestrially manufactured “lunar” construction material, called regolith, created by the Colorado School of Mines. (The Apollo mission more than

50 years ago gave scientists a clear sense of the makeup of lunar soil.)

CIM’s goal? Perfect the use of regolith to build fail-proof “concrete” for lunar construction.

CIM has already produced “lunar beams” in campus labs using the simulate soil, which is the exact composition chemically and in particle size as lunar soil.

“I call them moon beams,” said Kelly Strong, outgoing director of the School of Concrete and Construction Management at MTSU. “It’s not quite the moon beams you grew up singing about, but we have moon beams in our freeze chamber in our lab.”

What’s different about these earthly moon beams? Regolith is very fine, almost powdery, compared to the mix of large rocks, small rocks, and powder used in standard concrete. And unlike concrete, material made with regolith can’t be reinforced with steel. CIM solved that problem by printing latticework to give it some rigidity.

Early mixes were too soupy to print. When it came out of the printer, it just kind of puddled. There was no way to build volumetrically with that. So, testing continued. Eventually, CIM got the consistency right. But then, when it did another print and the regolith material settled, the moon beams began cracking deep into the structure.

The quest continues. Working in partnership with Drake State Technical and Community College in Huntsville, which is close to Marshall Space Flight Center and has a concrete printer, CIM was at press time working to embed structural health monitors inside its next batches of moon beams to monitor them for six months. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on 2035.

MTSU test batches of beams from lunar-like soil for NASA’s moon-to-Mars project

Photo by Andy Heidt

Fly Me to the Moon

Hundreds of millions of people watched humanity's first step onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969.

NASA boasts that technologies like breathing apparatuses, fabric structures, communications, and protective coatings that made a human’s step on the moon possible soon led to giant leaps in technology on Earth.

Examples range from firefighting equipment improvements to seismology advancements to the development of heart monitors, solar panels, and more. People forget how many technologies came out of the Apollo mission—technologies we now use every day.

The same will no doubt be true of this latest project. Everything the Marshall Space Flight Center project is doing for the current lunar application could have a terrestrial application.

That applies to CIM’s portion of the work as well. One possible outcome, according to Strong, could be the acceleration of the use of 3D printers to print structures on Earth in response to critical labor shortages in the construction industry.

“I don’t think we can, in the long term, afford to use scarce labor resources to place urban gutter,” he said. “Simple concrete structures, I think, are eventually going to be printed, as will storage units and other things like that, just because there’s not enough labor to go around.”

Strong added that current cement production techniques tend to be carbon intensive. Alternative materials, as well as different manufacturing or production technologies, could lessen the impact.

“Some of what we learn from using these literally alien technologies on the moon might be able to be applied on the Earth to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete as well,” he said.

Aligned with MTSU’s core mission to prepare students for the jobs of the future, CIM’s involvement in the NASA project smartly provides an out-of-this-world learning experience for students.

NASA grants currently pay four CIM students to serve as interns on the moon beams project.

“It’s just a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn about this technology,” Strong said. “And that’s the right thing to do. It can’t just be a bunch of people with Ph.D.’s at Cape Canaveral that are running this thing. We have to bring a new generation into the fold.”

Working on . . . working on the Moon

NASA is going to the moon to build a human settlement and launch spacecraft from there to Mars. It needs building materials to accomplish the mission and has turned to MTSU’s Concrete Industry Management program to help supply answers.

How do you build a settlement in an atmosphere-less environment? Where do you get air to breathe and to propel rockets? What about water? Don’t you need water to mix with lunar dust to produce “concrete”? And how are you going to accomplish all of this in utter darkness?

AIR

Astronauts on the moon will need to have an atmosphere around them to print the concrete. That atmosphere is going to be created using a structure that will land on the moon and inflate.

Imagine your patio umbrella that you crank open. Well, NASA is effectively going to send the world’s largest patio umbrella to the moon. It will plant itself, anchor itself down, then fold out much like a patio umbrella does.

Astronauts will then create an atmosphere inside (about 0.6 Earth’s atmosphere). The robotic printer that also will be launched to the moon will operate inside this structure and print the infrastructure.

WATER

There is ice encapsulated on the southern pole of the moon, the dark side of the moon, which never gets sun. The ice there never melted when the moon ripped away from the Earth a long, long time ago.

Astronauts are going to melt some of that and mix it with the moon dust to make “concrete.” That water is also going to be excavated and separated into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen will be used as the rocket fuel to launch rockets to Mars. The oxygen will be used to keep the astronauts alive.

LIGHT

Much of this work will be autonomously controlled from Earth using radio signals and lots of cameras to move rovers around and build launch pads and such. There won’t be truck drivers on the moon, at least not just yet.

So many impressive students, so few pages!

We could fill this magazine with profiles of CBAS students doing inspiring work that promises to change the world. Here, then, are but three of many who stand out as up-and-coming professionals in their fields.

Leader among STEM

Gammons’ research activity is in the alternative fuels arena. The demand for fuel in the U.S. is high, with over 100 billion gallons of gasoline used each year to power domestic vehicles. To address this need, federal mandates have been implemented to increase the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, such as trees and grasses, as an alternative to petroleum. Gammons’ research study aims to overcome obstacles to production.

It’s heady stuff, to say the least. But so, too, is Gammons’ other passion—collaborating with, coordinating, and mentoring young women in science, technology, engineering, and math.

“By providing resources and opportunities to pursue STEM education for young women, I am building a strong foundation for networking with undergraduate and graduate students and STEM professionals and hopefully helping to usher in the next generation of females in STEM careers,” Gammons said.

She’s being noticed for her efforts. The Division of Professional Relations (PROF) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) recently recognized Gammons’ influential outreach work with the Leadership Development Award.

The ACS is one of the largest scientific communities in the world, with over 151,000 members across 140 countries. The PROF Division selects one leadership development winner a year from its large pool of member applicants. Winners demonstrate multiple leadership and volunteer experiences through activities, society or organization memberships, mentoring, academic achievements and awards, publications, presentations, and more.

Gammons, a member of both the ACS and PROF, decided to apply for the award after Judith Iriarte-Gross, director of MTSU’s Women in STEM (WISTEM) Center where Gammons volunteers, suggested it.

“I have dedicated numerous hours to developing my leadership skills, so it is a rewarding feeling to have acknowledgment that my dedication to developing leadership skills has not gone unnoticed,” Gammons said.

One of Gammons’ leadership contributions was helping organize MTSU’s annual Tennessee Girls in STEM Conference to introduce middle and high school girls to science and mathematics careers, which, Gammons said, is so important because even though women make up the majority of students in STEM classes, they are not choosing STEM careers—especially in Tennessee.

—Stephanie Wagner and Drew Ruble

MTSU Ph.D. student Nicole Gammons stimulates her mind with data-driven research as part of the Molecular Biosciences doctoral program.

Taking It to the Digital Limit

Dilafruz Shamsieva holds a master’s degree in Information Systems from MTSU and is pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Science at MTSU as well.

She is also the founder of Logical Limit App, a startup focused on limiting children’s online time and redirecting their attention to age-appropriate educational activities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children today are spending an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones, and other electronic devices.

The Academy discourages media use by children younger than 2 and recommends limiting older children’s screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.

Shamsieva’s app clearly addresses a pressing issue in today’s society.

“Our goal is to fill the gap in education that occurs due to the significant impact of the electronic devices on the lives of children in everyday life,” she said, adding that the Logical Limit App “helps parents keep their children safe online” by blocking certain ads and notifying parents when data is captured and sent to other applications.

“We also capture metrics to provide a granular overview to parents in the best interest of their children and notify the parent or guardian if the child uses harmful or violent words while typing on the keyboard,” she said.

With her academic background, Shamsieva has a deep understanding of the importance of technology in our lives. As a parent herself, she also knows the need to protect children from online threats.

“I understand the challenges of balancing technology use with the well-being of our children,” she said. “With Logical Limit, you can rest easy knowing that your children are safe and engaged in productive activities.”

A passionate entrepreneur and software developer (and not a bad salesperson, either!), Shamsieva strives to make the digital world a safer place for children, and to give parents the peace of mind they need to let their children explore it.

—Drew Ruble

Microbes, Polypores, and Beyond

Biology/Psychology double-major Yaseen

Ginnab keeps himself active by hiking local trails and rock-climbing. As someone who aspires to pursue a career in forest ecology, it makes sense that he would feel most comfortable surrounded by the nature he studies.

The recent graduate’s first research venture as an MTSU student was an internship he received with the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in summer 2021. He traveled to Central Michigan University’s biological station on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan and researched a pipeline beneath Lake Michigan that could burst in the future. Although most of the oil could be removed, residual amounts would be left to the native bacteria to degrade. Ginnab found that every water sample’s bacterial community adapted to the presence of crude oil to degrade hydrocarbons within seven days of exposure. That’s good news for Lake Michigan.

Ginnab has since participated in numerous other research projects while at MTSU. His latest venture, though, is his crowning achievement to date. In 2022, Ginnab received a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship to pursue research. He used it to travel to Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where, assisting with a Canadian Fulbright project as part of the Mitacs Globalink Internship program, he performed research involving polypores, a type of shelf or bracket fungi, that can parasitize living trees or decompose dead trees. The Goldwater Scholarship is among the highest awards undergraduates majoring in science can receive. This is a national-level award, not an MTSU scholarship.

Also in 2022, Ginnab was selected as the only national scholar for the Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program, which provides a one-year fellowship with a Land Trust after graduation, a housing allowance, a $50,000 salary, and more opportunities to make connections.

Ginnab is contemplating a future in academia—for the research, of course—and intends to pursue a master’s and a Ph.D., conducting even more research that focuses on forest ecology and conservation. After his Land Trust fellowship, he plans to pursue a master’s in Biology focused on Ecology and Evolution at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs.

Wherever he ends up in the future, there is one thing for certain—he’ll be outdoors researching his preferred environment.

—Rachel Booher and Drew Ruble

SUPPORT STRUCTURES

Chemistry professor earns $800K in grants and sets up lab with MTSU research office assistance

by Stephanie Wagner

For Mengliang “Mike” Zhang, an MTSU associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and a rising research star on campus, successful research is all about collaboration.

“Michael Jordan said, ‘Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships,’ ” Zhang said. “Similarly, research and education in science benefit immensely from collaborations and support.”

Since joining the MTSU faculty in 2017 and taking on projects as a lead researcher, Zhang said, he has received that support and camaraderie from the University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and his colleagues.

It’s helped Zhang secure multiple federal grants—nearly $800,000 worth, in fact—and delve into his research specialties, too.

He’s the lead researcher on three concurrent projects from the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. He’s also part of a fourth project with Greg Van Patten, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, that’s received $600,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“I would not have come this far without the ORSP’s support,” Zhang said. “Collaboration with faculty members in my department and beyond has been critical to the development of my research projects.”

Using his background as an analytical chemist and over 15 years of experience in mass spectrometry—an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions—Zhang’s projects include:

• Analyzing toxins in wildfire smoke to help develop better safety protocols for firefighters.

• Investigating the chemical profiles of different food compounds to provide better dietary recommendations.

• Acquiring more specialized equipment for MTSU.

Zhang grew up in the Jilin province of China and completed years of study and research at Jilin University. He moved

“I THOUGHT MY EXPERIENCE COULD SYNERGIZE WITH THE EXISTING STRENGTHS AT MTSU AND SAW A RANGE OF COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE DEPARTMENT AND BEYOND.”

halfway across the world to Murfreesboro and an MTSU faculty position because he saw his background as a good fit for the Chemistry Department.

“I thought my experience could synergize with the existing strengths at MTSU and saw a range of collaborative opportunities with the faculty members in the department and beyond,” Zhang said. “Thankfully, both have been true.”

Zhang said the ORSP works hard to grow the research and experience of junior faculty members like him.

“They provided startup funds to set up my lab,” he said. “They organized workshops to help faculty write grant proposals, find collaborators, set career goals, and navigate grant opportunities from different agencies. These are all critical factors for the success of the research proposals.

“The staff are patient, knowledgeable, and trustworthy, making my job much easier, so I only need to focus on the science.”

Zhang also highlighted the office’s support of student researchers, both graduate and undergraduate, with

resources like the Undergraduate Research Center and research grant opportunities like the Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity grant.

Shruthi Perna, a student in MTSU’s Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. program, works as a graduate research assistant in Zhang’s lab on his National Institute of Justice project.

“Dr. Zhang has supported me in every way possible with the project,” said Perna, who hopes to lead her own research lab one day. “He constantly guided me in the design of experiments and in the scientific writing process. My efficiency in conducting experiments and problemsolving skills have significantly improved under his guidance.”

Originally from Warangul, India, Perna said she knew she wanted to pursue research in graduate school and that MTSU could provide her with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to achieve her career goals.

“The research skills which I am learning at MTSU will act as a foundation for my future endeavors,” she said.

“The MTSU faculty is diverse and involved in cutting-edge research.”

Basic Highlights

News and notes from around the College of Basic and Applied Sciences

Bricks and Mortar Boards

MTSU cut the ribbon last October to officially open the new $40.1 million School of Concrete and Construction Management Building on the east side of campus.

The 54,000-square-foot facility is an integrated and experiential learning laboratory for the approximately 135 Concrete Industry Management majors and 200 Construction Management students and a major change from the roughly 9,000 square feet of space they’ve been using in the Voorhies Engineering Technology Building.

Among the building’s many features:

• a quartet of materials and building labs

• a dedicated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) classroom

• a virtual design and construction computer lab capable of creating advanced building models and construction simulations

• an augmented virtual reality computer lab for immersive experiences

• a 200-seat lecture hall

• a covered amphitheater

The structure is a sophisticated instructional tool—a functional building with educational elements deliberately and intelligently integrated into its design. For the first time, MTSU has classrooms and laboratories that were designed from the outset for the specific purpose of teaching students about Construction Management and Concrete Industry Management.

Construction is a $1 trillion-plus industry that impacts every aspect of life, including where we live, work, learn, shop, and dine. Students utilizing the building are preparing for professional careers in a high-demand sector throughout the Midstate and beyond. Students graduating from the programs average $60,000-plus in starting salary and have an almost 100% placement rate.

The new facility marks an expansion of the University’s Science Corridor of Innovation in the heart of campus, anchored by the 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Science Building.

By 2025, SCCM will have a new neighbor: the $78.4 million Applied Engineering Building, which will include a Makerspace, robotics and automation lab, and close to $1.2 million of new equipment. The 89,000-square-foot facility, now under construction, will serve as the home for the Engineering Technology and Mechatronics Engineering programs as well as provide space for future engineering programs.

Concrete and Construction Management Building

Applied Engineering Building rendering

Moving on Up

MTSU last year celebrated advancement to an R2 high research activity doctoral university designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

This elite status places MTSU among a select group of only 3% of institutions nationwide to earn the R2 designation.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education releases classifications for more than 4,500 schools every three years. Based on a measure of research activity, doctoral universities like MTSU are assigned a category: R1 Doctoral University (very high research activity), R2 Doctoral University (high research activity), or R3 Doctoral/Professional University (D/PU).

It Takes a Village

In 23 STEM-related events for middle and high school students, 200 teenagers collaborated as teammates to find solutions, answer test questions, and create and build gadgets and gizmos during the 28th annual Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU.

The budding scientists learned teamwork and principles of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics— during the all-day event in February. Middle school activities included “Forestry,” “Storm the Castle,” “Wheeled Vehicle,” and “Disease Detectives,” while high school challenges featured “Trajectory,” “Scrambler,” “Forensics,” and “Astronomy.”

On the Hill

For 10 MTSU undergraduate students and researchers, the annual Posters at the Capitol event was an opportunity not only to present their STEM-based research projects, but also to show off their work to state officials and peers and rub elbows with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

The MTSU cohort joined 41 other undergraduates from public universities across the state to participate in the February event, put on by MTSU’s Tennessee STEM Education Center (see related article on page 12). Participants had personal meetings with state representatives, were treated to lunch, and attended a short address from the governor.

Taking It to the Streets

A recent first-time partnership between CBAS and the Riverdale High School Honors program will, potentially, be a springboard for future visits from Riverdale and a model for collaborations with other area high schools.

With assistance from their students in some cases, MTSU science faculty gave the Riverdale visitors a different perspective from their regular high school classes at the October campus event.

Kimberly Cerchiaro, Riverdale Honors College coordinator involved in Advanced Placement classes at the school, said many of the 50 students who participated shared “rave reviews” from their visit.

Biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, engineering technology, physics, and astronomy were areas of study the students could choose from while visiting MTSU. MTeach’s STEM teacher education program, quantum computing, physics of flight, lunar rovers (moon buggies), and others were among the sessions available to them.

Gold Standard

Forensic Science major Elizabeth Kowalczyk was recently named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar. She is one of only eight students from Tennessee institutions to receive the award this year and the only one from MTSU.

MTSU students have received Goldwater Scholarships nearly every year since 2007, when then-prodigy Taylor Barnes became the University’s first Goldwater recipient. Yaseen Ginnab (Biology and Psychology double-major) received the award in 2022. Denise Ortega (Organismal Biology and Ecology) earned the scholarship in 2021.

The Goldwater Scholarship is among the highest awards undergraduates majoring in science can receive.

Baja Blast

Top of the Mountain

Seven first-place finishes propelled Northfield Elementary School in Murfreesboro to the team championship in the 13th Elementary Science Olympiad, which featured competition in 20 event categories.

The Olympiad allows youngsters to learn basic concepts in STEM— science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—both as teams and individuals and, hopefully, increase their interest in middle school and high school to potentially pursue the subjects in college and in their careers.

The spring event, held at John Pittard Campus School, was directed by Chemistry Professor Pat Patterson, who, once again, lined up MTSU faculty and 13 upper-division physical science experiential learning students and volunteers to run the daylong event.

Organic Growth

The International Ginseng Institute at MTSU received a $455,000 grant award from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to investigate organic methods of protecting growers’ ginseng investments. The University has provided almost $300,000 more as a match.

American ginseng is considered one of the highest unit value cash crops and one of the most well-known medicinal plants grown in North America.

MTSU’s Experimental Vehicles Program (EVP) participated in a virtual competition for the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge in 2022 and was awarded the Phoenix Award for technical document writing.

The Experimental Vehicles Program also competed in the 2022 Society of Automotive Engineers Baja competition in Cookeville with more than 100 other university teams from around the world. MTSU’s EVP Baja team finished in the top 10 in the sled pull and completed the four-hour endurance race, which included huge jumps, many obstacles, and tons of mud.

The EVP also captured six awards at the annual Solar Splash competition in Springfield, Ohio, last year.

Search Party

MTSU hosted its 17th annual Scholars Week research exposition, showcasing 168 research and creative activity projects students had been working on throughout the year, from the STEM fields to music, dance, philosophy, and more.

The March research expo in the Student Union’s secondfloor ballroom wrapped up a week’s worth of scholarly activity across campus.

Stars in the Making

Several MTSU undergraduates qualified for prestigious National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant placements. Each site hosts about 10 students who work on a specific research project with host-university faculty and other researchers for six to 10 weeks. Funds cover stipends for the students’ work and often pay for students’ travel and housing.

• Oscar Allen, physics, University of Alabama–Birmingham.

• Ian Alcox, computational physics, Pittsburgh

Supercomputing Center, Carnegie Mellon University

• James Evans, quantitative biology using genomics, UCLA

• Monika Fouad, physics and biochemistry, Texas A&M University

• Thomas Freeman and Ethan Weiche, physics, University of Arkansas

• Kendra Givens, computer science, Carnegie Mellon

• Elizabeth Kowalczyk, forensic science, placement in Mexico through the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

• Ariel Nicastro, physics, University of Maryland

• Rachael Quinby, physics, Vanderbilt University

• Alexandria Williams, biology, University of Notre Dame

Computer Crops

An interdisciplinary team of CBAS faculty pioneering the field of digital agriculture established the first Digital Agriculture Center in Tennessee. The project combines MTSU strengths in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, Agriculture, STEM education, and Data Science to optimize crop yields. The team is partnering under a $750,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to bring the cutting-edge approach to high school students through a multi-week residential summer camp on the MTSU campus.

Cheers!

Terrapin Beer Co., owned by Molson Coors Beverage Co., partnered with MTSU Fermentation Science to offer an annual scholarship to underrepresented undergraduate students wanting to pursue a degree in this program.

Fermentation Science major Calvin Hood was the inaugural recipient in 2021, and Emily Beavers (pictured below) earned the second award in 2022 worth $10,000. The Brewing Education Scholarship also provides an opportunity to intern with Terrapin during the summer between the student’s junior and senior years of college.

James Evans

Flying High Now

The Department of Aerospace is expected to become the first MTSU unit to have a permanent presence outside of Rutherford County when it moves two of its concentrations to Shelbyville.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a budget in 2022 that includes $62 million to construct a new airport campus at the Shelbyville Municipal Airport, known as Bomar Field. MTSU expects to relocate its Professional Pilot and Maintenance Management concentrations from the Murfreesboro Airport to Shelbyville. Those two concentrations have recently accounted for nearly 1,000 students combined, roughly 80% of the total undergraduate Aerospace majors. MTSU has been working with the city of Shelbyville to finalize the plans for the flight training campus there.

Propelled Forward

Colton Gray, a 2018 graduate of MTSU, was the first pilot to advance all the way through Delta Air Lines’ Propel program for collegiate aviators to become pilots for Delta. The airline currently partners with 17 of the top aviation programs in the country, including MTSU, to recruit and prepare pilots. Gray advanced through the program faster than any candidate from any of the other university programs.

Fleet Feat

With the rise in demand for flight training, the MTSU Flight School found it necessary to implement a multi-tiered plan for fleet growth to keep up. The department took possession of two additional Piper Seminole aircraft last fall, bringing the level of multi-engine training to the highest seen at the University.

The Aerospace program, celebrating its 80th anniversary, has the largest multi-engine fleet and the largest total fleet in MTSU history. The MTSU Flight School now maintains a fleet of 45 total aircraft: 38 Diamond DA40’s, five Piper PA44 Seminoles, one Diamond DA20, and a Piper Super Cub.

Destination Known

MTSU’s Department of Aerospace joined Southwest Airlines’ Destination 225° program in April as one of the newest partners in the airline’s unique first officer development and recruitment program.

Destination 225° builds pathways for aspiring pilots from university aviation programs across the country to first officer roles at Southwest. On a compass rose, 225° is the southwest heading. MTSU is one of only 12 current Destination 225° university partners nationwide.

Photo by J. Intintoli

Back in Hack

Computer Science and Data Science students were not only creating games and dabbling with virtual reality and artificial intelligence at this year’s HackMT event, but also networking and establishing relationships with, hopefully, potential employers. Joined by representatives from industry partners, MTSU students on 10 teams spent 36 nonstop hours creating apps and more during the annual HackMT and project expo in the MTSU Science Building in January. One team, named KOM-fused, developed an app called .KOM— creating a hypothetical way to renovate Kirksey Old Main, one of the four original buildings on campus in 1911 and home to Computer Science and Mathematical Sciences.

Two students received $2,500 Asurion HackMT Scholarships, one of many scholarships handed out at the event. The event annually receives support from a number of industry partners, led by Asurion and Amazon. Other featured sponsors included Bondware, CAT Financial, Antage, Genesco, CGI, L3Harris, and TVA.

Professor Gone Wild

Donny Walker, assistant professor of Biology, landed a boost to his research through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant attained in collaboration with researchers at Oregon State University and the University of California–Riverside. Walker and MTSU will receive $870,000 of the $2.61 million highly competitive grant for the NSF project titled “Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome Interactions and Mechanisms.”

CSI Murfreesboro

Yangseung Jeong, a member of the Department of Biology and Forensic Science program since 2017, received the 2022 Kerley Award, recognizing excellence in the continuing effort to research and develop methods in forensic anthropology. MTSU is one of three U.S. universities with multiple Kerley Award winners since 2002. Hugh Berryman, retired director of MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, was bestowed the honor in 2008.

Top-Notch

Rhonda Hoffman, director of MTSU’s Horse Science program, won a national award as the Equine Science Society’s Outstanding Educator. Hoffman has served on the faculty at MTSU since 2003 and won MTSU’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 2013.

The grant will fund research of members of the microbiome, the host, and the environment. The project investigates the role metabolites play with fungi and bacteria in reptile, amphibian, and other animal digestion. Metabolites are substances formed in or necessary for metabolism. The project goal is to advance the understanding of microbiomes in wild animal systems—increasingly important in species such as reptiles and amphibians, some of the most threatened on the planet.

Fuel for Thought

Keying Ding of the Department of Chemistry secured two new, highly competitive research grants to support her research in green chemistry.

These grants, from the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, support her investigations into the production of high-value chemical catalysts from inexpensive, nontoxic, and earth-abundant metals. She has previously earned two National Science Foundation grants and participated in another.

The NSF grant provides $172,182 of funding and extends for three years. The ACS Petroleum Research Fund grant provides $70,000 of funding and also lasts for three years.

Start Your Engines

MTSU’s involvement in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix IndyCar race, a three-day festival of speed and sound, continued in 2023. Cushioned concrete barriers made of environmentally conscious mixes along the 2.17-mile course were developed in partnership with MTSU’s Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program—its students, faculty, and alumni.

The Music City Grand Prix IndyCar Series has quickly established itself as one of the top events in downtown Nashville each year. Millions of fans around the world watch the race, which takes place each summer through the downtown streets of Nashville.

Build a Better Robot

More than 100 teenagers on nearly 30 teams showed their skills while competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge Tennessee State Championship in robotics at MTSU’s Alumni Memorial Gym in February. FIRST Tech Challenge teams (up to 15 participants in grades 7 to 12) were challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in head-to-head matches in an alliance format. Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and teamwork.

Cave Man

MTSU Geosciences Professor Mark Abolins recalls that moving from his native California to Tennessee centered around caves. “It makes the most sense if I came to Tennessee to involve students in cave studies,” said Abolins, an instructor of the Geoscience of Caves and Field Methods in Geology courses. “There are more caves in Tennessee than in any other American state!”

And MTSU specifically is serendipitously located in cave-rich territory. Rutherford County is home to 129 known caves, including the most well-known and impressive system: Snail Shell Cave in Rockvale, 14 miles from the MTSU campus. It is also at the heart of a preserve administered by the nonprofit Southeastern Cave Conservancy.

Racking Up Numbers

Ningbo University (NBU) and Guangxi University (GXU) are two partner schools in China from which MTSU receives transfer students regularly each year. In fiscal year 2021, 11 students from NBU enrolled at MTSU on campus for Actuarial Science B.S. studies, and seven students from GXU joined MTSU in the 3+1+1 program to study actuarial science. Eleven new applications were received from NBU for 2022 admission.

The Geoscience of Caves course at MTSU gives undergraduate students access to another important university experience: research. Students recently helped with data entry on a project that digitally assessed and mapped the geologic folds—rock structures made by flat rock deformed by stress and pressure—at Snail Shell Cave. National Science Foundation and MTSU’s Faculty Research and Creative Activity Committee grants funded the project. The International Journal of Speleology published the research in spring 2021, a first for MTSU. Speleology is the scientific study or exploration of caves. Albert Ogden, a Geosciences professor emeritus, contributed to the research and co-authored the paper.

Not Horsing Around

For the first time in school history, the MTSU equestrian team took home the Western National Championship trophy at the 2023 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship. Five Blue Raider riders qualified as a Western team and four riders qualified individually. In a down-to-thewire finish, MTSU won by a single point after MTSU’s Jordan Martin placed second in Team Open Horsemanship, the last team class. mtsunews.com/equestrian-team-nationaltitle-2023

Spider Sense

Three former MTSU student biology researchers, Gale Beaubien, Connor Olson, and Andrew Todd, and their mentor, former Biology Professor Ryan Otter, were part of a recently published collaboration receiving international notoriety. The paper in the Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry scientific journal suggests national-scale programs to monitor chemical contaminants in aquatic ecosystems using spiders. mtsunews.com/alumni-mentor-gainacclaim-from-spider-research

A Quantum Leap

Add DaVonte Lewis (Physics, ’22) to the growing list of MTSU graduates pursuing graduate degrees at prestigious Johns Hopkins University, the first research university in the U.S. and one of the most respected in the world. Lewis, 26, who will focus on condensed matter physics research and novel quantum materials, also mulled graduate school offers from the University of Michigan, Penn State University, and several other major schools.

mtsunews.com/shining-physics-scholarawaits-johns-hopkins

True Blue Salute

Retired Lt. Col. Joel Miller, former chair of MTSU’s Military Science Department, addressed 13 ROTC cadets being commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, Reserves, and National Guard in 2022. Referencing his own commissioning ceremony from the U.S. Military Academy nearly 30 years ago, Miller spoke about “leading by example and the goal as leaders, not only for the military, but for the nation in general.”

mtsunews.com/military-sciencecommissions-13-as-2nd-lieutenantsspring-2022

Girls Just Wanna Do STEM

Chemistry Professor Judith Iriarte-Gross, who is also director of MTSU’s Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Center, was the 2022 recipient of the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network Excellence in Advocacy Award. Nationally known for encouraging girls and women in the sciences, Iriarte-Gross started what is now called the Tennessee Girls in STEM Conference, which held its 26th annual event last fall.

mtsunews.com/iriarte-gross-earnsstatewide-award-for-stem-advocacy

Top-Flight

Following news that MTSU’s Actuarial Science program received the 2020 CAS University Award, recognizing the innovative and exemplary ways it is preparing students for a career in the property and casualty insurance industry, the program also received a research grant of $15,000 for a project titled “NLP and other AI Techniques for Applications in Actuarial Science.” MTSU has the only actuarial program in Tennessee for both undergraduate and graduate students.

mtsunews.com/actuarial-science-receivesinternational-accolade-2020

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