Summer 2020
Staying On Course MTSU developed new and innovative ways to keep teaching, learning, and serving in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Page 18
Staying on Course Cameron Collins, Jones College of Business lab coordinator, prepared laptops for faculty to use for remote teaching during the COVID-19 crisis. Page 18
Table of Contents Departments 05 President's Letter 06 Five Minutes with the President 08 Scene on Campus 11 #MyMTStory 12 Old School 14 Faculty Spotlight 15 Required Reading 16 Campus Culture 44 Midpoints 50 MTSUNews.com 51 Class Notes 56 Baby Raiders 57 In Memoriam
Features 09 Quest 2025 18 Staying on Course 26 Built for Its Time 30 Lady's Man 36 Grape Expectations
The new 2020 graduates received a True Blue Graduation Box by mail to mark their accomplishments. The box included the graduate’s MTSU diploma, a mortarboard, blue tassel, commemorative program, and an invitation to a future ceremony. On the cover: Cindy Johnson from the Registrar's Office fills a graduation box.
Middle Tennessee State University Summer 2020, Vol. 24 No. 2 University President Sidney A. McPhee Vice President of University Advancement Joe Bales Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andrew Oppmann Senior Editor Drew Ruble Director of Alumni Relations Ginger Freeman Senior Director of Creative Marketing Solutions Kara Hooper Designer Micah Loyed Contributing Editor Carol Stuart Contributing Writers Skip Anderson, Gina E. Fann, Allison Gorman, Jimmy Hart, Gina K. Logue, Randy Weiler University Photographers James Cessna, Andy Heidt, J. Intintoli, Cat Curtis Murphy Special thanks to Donna J. Baker, David Butler, Sarah Calise, Beverly Keel, Chris Massarro, Marsha Powers, Michelle Stepp Address changes should be sent to Advancement Services, MTSU Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; alumni@mtsu.edu. Other correspondence goes to MTSU magazine, Drew Ruble, 1301 E. Main St., MTSU Box 49, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. For online content, visit mtsunews.com. 129,148 copies printed at Courier Printing, Smyrna, Tennessee. Designed by MTSU Creative Marketing Solutions.
photo: J. Intintoli cover photo: Andy Heidt
0320-8875 / 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 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; Marian.Wilson@mtsu.edu; or 615-898-2185. The MTSU policy on non-discrimination can be found at mttsu.edu/iec.
MAKE MORE MT MEMORIES AT HOMECOMING!
OMING C E M HO
We invite you to celebrate your alma mater during Homecoming 2020
October 2–3
As activities are finalized, event listings, RSVPs, and updated information will be available at mtalumni.com, by calling 1-800-533-6878, or by emailing alumni@mtsu.edu MTSUAlumni
@mtalumni
@mtalumni
PRESIDENT'S LET TER
To our newest readers— the True Blue Graduates of 2020 At MTSU, we’ll never forget our 2020 graduates. Like past graduates, you stayed up half the night preparing for exams, felt the self-satisfaction of finishing a paper you never thought you could write, and no doubt walked cross-campus in the rain from the only parking spot you could find. But unlike most past graduates, you endured a true crisis to cross your educational finish line. The suddenness of the global virus pandemic and subsequent transition to remote and online learning meant you never returned from spring break to tell your vacation stories in person. You completed your college career remotely, likely staring into a Zoom grid. You missed out on triumphant shared experiences like receiving well-deserved congratulations from a trusted professor at the end of your final course, or a hug from a longtime classmate, or shaking my hand as you accepted your degree at commencement. Instead, your college career ended with a virtual ceremony. This was supposed to be your time to shine in front of everyone. Frankly, it’s unfair. We know well, and share, the disappointment you are feeling because of the actions taken to keep us all safe. Just know that you are not forgotten. And that your hard work did not go unnoticed. Here’s something else we noticed: During the crisis, you displayed great sacrifice and leadership. Your selfless embrace of a dire situation helped flatten the curve and steer us all out of our darkest days. You were resilient and innovative, and your savvy use of technology and social media in particular helped teach a nation how to ingeniously stay connected, make progress, and stay safe. In a nutshell, you did more than complete your education remotely; you helped us all survive and flourish amidst a worldwide crisis. We will not soon forget the contributions you specifically made. Nor your selflessness. You handled a major disruption in your life with maturity and optimism. Each of you made a difficult situation manageable. And you did it while one of the most momentous periods in human history was unfolding.
As you emerge from this experience and enter the next chapter of your life, there is much uncertainty still. But it is the very resiliency, innovation, and community spirit that you valiantly expressed during these strange times that will now make you successful in the professional world. These are the very characteristics that we as a society need from you in the times ahead. You helped show us all how to stay social in a time of isolation. How to progress in a time of shutdown. How to help in a time of helplessness. We need you more than ever. We need your skills and experience. We need what you have learned both in the classroom and outside of it. Your resiliency, innovation, calm, respect for others, community spirit, and even your sense of humor are exactly what the world needs right now. You’re ready. We’re counting on you. We salute you as the special group of individuals who you are and who deserved better than what you got, but who never complained and who crossed the finish line with grace and composure. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned. It certainly didn’t in this case. Embrace the difference. It’s just another example of what makes you so special.
Summer 2020 5
FIVE MINUTES WITH THE PRESIDENT
The Road Ahead
photo: Cat Curtis Murphy President Sidney A. McPhee at at virtual Spring 2020 Graduating Veterans Stole Ceremony
A brief conversation on recent events with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee You have decided that Middle Tennessee State University will move forward with its COVID-19 preparations and resume on-campus, in-person classes and operations in August for the Fall 2020 semester. Tell us about that decision.
We choose to be optimistic, and we are confident in our abilities to adapt to the changing and fluid dynamics of this pandemic. The task before me as president, working closely with our University leadership team and university medical staff, is to chart a course that will allow us to welcome our incoming freshman class, new transfers, and returning students, as well as faculty and
6 MTSU Magazine
staff, to a safe and healthy campus for the new academic year. Please know that our actions ultimately will be guided by the advice and recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state public health officials concerning the coronavirus. To assist the University in planning for the return of students and employees to campus, I appointed a diverse team of faculty, staff, and community leaders, led by Provost Mark Byrnes, to develop options and scenarios and submit recommendations on how we proceed when we reopen for the fall.
Highlights of the report include the following: •
The fall semester will be shortened and students will not return to campus following the Thanksgiving break to reduce the potential for spreading the virus. All finals will be taken remotely, and the three inperson class days that will be lost will be made up by eliminating fall break and holding class on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
•
We will implement stringent social distancing protocols while classes are in session on campus. Students returning to campus will be welcomed by a host of signage and instructions related to social distancing, hand-washing, face coverings, and other public health precautions.
•
Faculty will prepare a multi-platform mix of instructional delivery to students (some courses will occur on-ground with social distancing, some remain online, and some will be delivered in a hybrid format) to ensure we as a campus community remain ready to pivot on a dime should the need to quarantine arise again.
We will act quickly, but carefully, keeping the safety of our community at the forefront of our planning. •
•
MTSU invested $3.5 million in video/audio upgrades to our classrooms so that all class meetings can be captured electronically. MTSU devoted another $3.4 million toward faculty laptops, online exam proctoring, and other software needs. This technology will enable faculty to make sure that all students, including those unable to come to class because of the virus, continue to receive the same high-quality education they enjoy during normal times. Much of this money comes from the CARES Act, but the University is putting in considerable dollars as well. We are determined to persevere in our educational mission, and this effort is central to doing so. Space capacity limits will be implemented across the board. Many classrooms will only hold one-third to one-half as many students as before, while some building spaces not traditionally used for classes will be opened up for instructional use to comply with distancing guidelines. In addition, changes to housing, on-campus events, and student services will be implemented to reduce population density on campus.
President Sidney A. McPhee and Provost Mark Byrnes at the Spring 2020 virtual Commencement Ceremony photo: Andrew Oppmann
•
Last, the University also will develop COVID-19 testing, isolation, and personal protective equipment protocols upon student return, and a temporary attendance policy will be established that encourages sick students to stay home while providing access to course materials for those who cannot come to campus.
•
This modified reopening seeks to minimize risk while we continue to pursue our educational mission as best we can.
•
We will act quickly, but carefully, keeping the safety of our community at the forefront of our planning.
While we cannot predict the future, we can prepare for the possibilities that lie ahead. Will everything be just like it once was? Unlikely, but we will be prepared to adapt and evolve so that we remain efficient, effective, and even more relevant as our nation emerges from this crisis. We are aware that people will have many questions about our plans for the upcoming fall semester and that some will not be happy or pleased with the precautions we are taking. Please be assured that we will address them as we learn more about the status of the virus and its impact on our state and region. Again, I want to emphasize that we will consider the health and welfare of our community with every decision we make. We will be prepared to adapt should public health guidelines or orders dictate that we alter our plans. You also announced that MTSU will not seek tuition or fee increases for the 2020–21 academic year. Why did you make that decision?
We must do what we can to help our students and their families as we come to terms with the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital that we identify and remove as many obstacles as we can, so that we can welcome our new and returning students to campus this fall. Summer 2020 7
SCENE ON CAMPUS
Dec. 4
Scene on Campus
7,345 at women’s basketball Education Day
Despite spring cancellations due to COVID-19, MTSU enjoyed a vibrant start to the winter 2020 calendar, as spotlighted here.
Jan. 22 State Rep. Harold Love Jr. at MLK Day
Jan. 26
Feb. 6
5th annual Hack-MT college competition
Black History Month pioneering student-athletes panel
Feb. 20–23 MTSU Theatre production of Six Degrees of Separation
March 3 Demetria Kalodimos at women’s suffrage event 8 MTSU Magazine
Feb. 18 Announcement in Nashville for Data Science degree
Especially today, operating in the midst of a global pandemic, we at MTSU understand the dynamic nature of higher education. To be relevant, our strategic plans and our goals must change with the times. To remain on the cutting edge, we must do even more. We must project ahead. We must think boldly and act boldly. We must be our own architects for the future. Our original Quest for Student Success set ambitious goals that led to significant improvements in student retention and graduation rates. These achievements have set the stage for us to bolster our Quest for years to come and further define our Academic Master Plan.
By any measure, MTSU has achieved a tremendous level of success over the last few years. What’s next for MTSU? by Sidney A. McPhee
Over the last few years, I convened several members of our faculty and staff, under the leadership of Provost Mark Byrnes, to expand, refine, and strengthen our efforts to facilitate the success of students. An important product of this initiative was the creation of the Quest for Student Success 2025, a crucial document that will serve as MTSU’s guidebook for future student success initiatives. Quest 2025 focuses on student success marked by a deeper and broader academic and student life experience that extends learning beyond graduation. Quest 2025 deepens our commitment to develop lifelong learners by engaging students in the learning process, creating distinctive and effective student experiences, enabling students to build selfconfidence, and preparing them for successes in their careers and civic lives. Students will learn how to learn, how to ask the right questions, how to take risks and learn from their mistakes, and how to succeed personally and professionally. The ultimate goal is to graduate students who are prepared to thrive professionally, committed to lifelong learning, and actively engaged as citizens of their communities and the world. The committee has developed three areas of focus. First, enhance the quality of the academic experience by helping faculty engage with students. Next, enhance the quality of the student life experience. And last, build an academic and student support network that facilitates learning. The plan will include specific measurable metrics to be accomplished.
E INQUIR LEARN GE ENGA E THRIV
As a beginning point to operationalize Quest 2025, Provost Byrnes has convened the Implementation Work Group, led by Rick Sluder, vice provost for student success. Look for more information in the near future, but the work group is focused on identifying a handful of primary strategic initiatives. In summary, the new Quest for Student Success 2025 underscores the University’s core mission: to produce graduates who are prepared to thrive professionally, are committed to critical inquiry and lifelong learning, and are engaged as civically, globally responsible citizens. Such traits are especially relevant now. [Editor’s Note: For more information on Quest 2025, visit mtsu.edu/quest.]
ts studen duate will gra mmitted to co onally, ed as ag g and en
s.
Summer 2020 9
#MyMTStor y
What would you say to the Class of 2020? In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, MTSU still had seniors wrapping up their college careers. MTSU alumni took the time to share a note of congratulations or a piece of advice for the Class of 2020. Pamela C. ’89
Jerry O. ’65
Donna ’84
Congratulations, . Graduates
You might have missed the ceremony, but the congratulations, encouragement, and guidance will be found in these messages.
Way To Go, Blue Raiders! CONGRATULATIONS!
MTSU is one of the best educations anywhere. Jennifer L. ’08
Opportunity abounds to make the world a better place while fulfilling your potential. Just do it. You can.
Congrats, class of 2020! What an amazing accomplishment you have reached! Best of luck in your future endeavors! I look fondly on my days at MTSU and I hope you can as well. Make us proud, grads! Tanya L. ’94, '97
To the class of 2020...you knew you were a special class and this time in history proves it. You are strong and resilient. You have worked hard and you deserve it all. Know that you will have a True Blue Family Forever and the friendships you made on campus will last a lifetime. Go out and make your MTSU family proud. Rebecca S. '78
Take time to remember this exciting time in your life. What an accomplishment!
You made it, all your hard work will pay off!
Melinda P. ’80
Congratulations Class of 2020! You stuck it out and accomplished your goal despite unforeseeable challenges. Now go out there and live your dreams!
Adam F. ’12
Remember that the chaos of today is the story of tomorrow and that the lessons you learn in the midst of the crisis will help make you a better leader. You got this. You are True Blue! Lorraine S. ’70, ’71, ’75
Today you received the keys to your future. Use wisely. Congratulations and remain True Blue!
This moment in time is unprecedented and you will never forget what you have persevered in order to graduate! This hard work, will, and determination will carry you through your life as you realize that great work/study ethics make you stronger and prepare you for all aspects of life’s uncertainties! I feel so sad that you may not have the opportunity to pick up that diploma but you will never forget why. You will never forget what happened. You WILL succeed and endure as long as you keep the Faith and you have this in you because you are a GRADUATE! LOVE AND MANY BLESSINGS!!
Mina H. ’05
Congratulations to the
True Blue Class of 2020! Even during an unprecedented time, you were able to accomplish your goal! May God bless you all!! Go be great in this world! Anna S. ’18
Congratulations, . Even though Grads it may not seem like it right now, all your hard work will pay off!!! Y’all got this!!!!
Summer 2020 11
OLD SCHOOL
Old School A look back at MTSU’s past from our photo archives— Sadly, due to COVID-19, our 2020 graduates didn’t walk in commencement as planned. Here is a spring graduation c. 1969 in Floyd Stadium.
FACULT Y SPOTLIGHT
Faculty Spotlight
MTSU faculty members Seth Jones and Hanna Terletska hold a distinction no other MTSU professors have ever obtained—National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) grant recipients. The NSF CAREER awards support junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through research, education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organization. Given annually, the award comes with a federal grant for research and education activities for five consecutive years. Combined, their grants total nearly $1.2 million. The recognition is considered NSF’s most prestigious award for early-career faculty. NSF receives more than 50,000 competitive proposals for funding each year and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF awarded $499,879 to Terletska, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, for her “Beyond Ideal Quantum Materials: Understanding the Critical Role of Disorder and Electron-Electron Interactions” proposal. The development plan is a fundamental research, education, and outreach program
14 MTSU Magazine
by Randy Weiler
that focuses on theoretical and computational study of functional quantum materials with strong electron-electron interactions and disorder. Terletska’s award began May 1 and ends April 30, 2025. Jones, an assistant professor in the Womack Educational Leadership Department, earned a five-year, $700,000 NSF grant for his “Supporting Statistical Model-Based Inference as an Integrated Effort Between Mathematics and Science” proposal. His research project seeks to design opportunities for middle school math and science teachers to coordinate their instruction to support a more coherent approach to teaching statistical model-based inference. Jones’ award began Feb. 1 and runs until Jan. 31, 2025. Both awards will include student involvement. David Butler, MTSU’s vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies, said NSF CAREER Awards “are very rare and difficult to obtain as they are for the top junior scholars in their fields. “Their success is a symbol of how MTSU is transforming into a research university, producing valuable research and development for the state of Tennessee and its citizens, fulfilling the role of a publicly supported state institution,” he added.
REQUIRED READING
Required Reading Constructing the Outbreak Katherine A. Foss, Professor of Journalism and Strategic Media JOURNALISM
Foss provided national expertise on the portrayal of the novel coronavirus in the media and in political commentary during the spring crisis. Foss’ latest book, Constructing the Outbreak, demonstrates how news reporting on epidemics communicates more than just information about pathogens; rather, prejudices, political agendas, religious beliefs, and theories of disease also shape the message. Analyzing seven epidemics spanning more than 200 years—from Boston’s smallpox epidemic and Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic in the 18th century to outbreaks of diphtheria, influenza, and typhoid in the early 20th century—her book covers how shifts in journalism and medicine influenced the coverage, preservation, and fictionalization of different disease outbreaks. Through this investigation into what has been preserved and forgotten in the collective memory of disease, Foss sheds light on current health care debates, like vaccine hesitancy.
I Don’t See Heaven
Milly & Roots: The Headscarf
Jennifer Adan,
Rodrigo Gómez,
MTSU Alumna
Assistant Professor of Media Arts
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
Adan, a California Montessori teacher turned Nashville-based hit songwriter, wrote country music star and The Voice judge Blake Shelton’s No.1 hit “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.” Adan, an MTSU alumna, is not only a songwriter but also a children’s book author who penned I Don’t See Heaven. The book tackles the subject of explaining to a child that a loved one has gone to heaven even though they can’t actually see heaven.
Gómez, a Hispanic artist from Colombia, South America, is passionate about immigrant stories. An assistant professor of Animation, who previously worked for FisherPrice Inc., he focuses on content for preschoolers. Gómez’s book Milly & Roots: The Headscarf profiles a little girl who is shocked the first time she sees a strange cloth on her Muslim friend’s mother’s head concealing her face. Confused, the girl asks her grandma about the cloth and is subsequently led on an exciting adventure guided by an uninhibited potato and other imaginary root vegetable friends, where she learns to accept others, even when they are different from her.
CONSTRUCTING the OUTBREAK Epidemics in Media & Collective Memory K AT H E R I N E
A.
F O S S
The Mistakes of Yesterday, the Hopes of Tomorrow: The Story of The Prisonaires John Dougan, Professor of Recording Industry MUSIC
Dougan is the author of The Mistakes of Yesterday, the Hopes of Tomorrow: The Story of The Prisonaires. In 1953, five African American inmates of Nashville’s Tennessee State Penitentiary recorded two songs at Sun Studios in Memphis. “Just Walkin’ in the Rain,” the group’s first single, sold more than 30,000 copies in six weeks, which made it one of Sun’s bestsellers in the period before its Elvis Presley recordings.
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CAMPUS CULTURE
Collage: A Journal of Creative Expression is a biannual publication of MTSU’s Honors College. Each semester a student-led committee receives entries of creative work, such as art, photography, short stories, essays, short plays, song lyrics, poetry, audio, and video from students and recent alumni. mtsu.edu/collage
Mood
Digital Photography
Luke Oakley
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Restore by Clark Wilson Clank clank up on those steps, as that man clank clanks his hammer to save some aging door, a testament to beautiful restores and halls and corridors. Or as some would call it, a painting slying out as a coincidental building that shakes the fragile man to the core—just too grand for those practicals to withstand. I see them scoff: terra cotta and stucco skinned, insulated bones bearing as off-white columns—stretching and contorting and testing the tissue’s will, just a balcony resting—somehow—on two little legs. Yet here it prospers. The men still walk and the trees still grow. Yet here it stays. Men go out of their ways just to save this home— And we are the audience to this house daring one’s heart to beat inside art. So clank clank. That door can stand for a few more.
Shark City Digital Painting
Ox Zante
Felicity
Acrylic Painting
Maggie Strahle
Tread Lightly Digital Photography
Adriana Klika
Summer 2020 17
STAYING ON COVID-19 response serves as testament to focus on student success
18 MTSU Magazine
With almost 22,000 students and nearly 1,000 full-time faculty and staff, MTSU is really the equivalent of a midsize city on a beautiful 550-acre campus. That all changed in early March as the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and University officials made the difficult but necessary decision to close the campus and move all instruction temporarily online after an extended spring break. Overnight, the MTSU campus was a virtual ghost town. On the first weekend that the campus was shuttered, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, who lives in the President’s Residence on campus, and his family took their dog, Mitzi, for a walk through Walnut Grove. “I looked around and realized how quiet and serene our campus looked,” he said. Passing by Kirksey Old Main, the nearly two-decade MTSU president said he found himself thinking back to the incredible challenges this campus has faced in its past. “In its more than 108 years, our community has experienced two World Wars, the Great Depression, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, desegregation, and the modern recession,” he said. “Each time this campus and our Blue Raider family have emerged stronger, with an even greater sense of purpose and resolve.” The experience gave him confidence in the future of the University. “I have no doubt that we will prove that once again, as we move beyond the health and financial challenges our world is facing,” he said.
COURSE by Drew Ruble
Although the University was still during the pandemic, it did not sit still. Faculty quickly turned more than 3,000 traditional courses into creative, challenging (and according to some reports, even fun) remote learning opportunities. Meanwhile, students handled the major disruption in their lives with maturity and optimism, making a difficult situation manageable. “I am truly amazed at how much we have been able to accomplish—much of which was achieved in record time,” McPhee said. “I am appreciative of our students, faculty, and staff, who were confronted with a crisis that upended
Summer 2020 19
their studies, plans, and lives, yet have persisted. . . . I am particularly grateful for our faculty, who were confronted with perhaps the greatest challenge of their careers and responded with resolve and innovation.”
ability to handle challenges, no matter what they are,” he said. “In the very near future, we will thrive, and that is directly attributable to each of them. Each of them is vital to our campus’s success—no matter what role they play.”
In the end, walking across campus that day with his dog, McPhee said he actually felt as optimistic as ever about the future of MTSU.
There are many examples of the positive ways the MTSU family handled the crisis. Published here is just a sampling of the many extraordinary efforts that took place. Collectively, they gave new meaning to the phrase “True Blue” that has come to reflect the identity of the MTSU community over the past decade.
“I know the character and values of our faculty, students, and staff. They have great capabilities and an amazing
MTSU unveiled three new guaranteed academic scholarships for qualified freshmen entering this fall, marking the first time such awards have been made available beyond the University’s traditional Dec. 1 deadline. Applications for these four-year awards are being accepted through Aug. 14—just 10 days before the start of the Fall 2020 semester: Lightning Scholarship ($3,000 a year, 30–36 ACT, 3.5 GPA) Blue Raider Scholarship ($2,000 a year, 25–29 ACT, 3.5 GPA) Future Alumni Scholarship ($1,000 a year, 23–24 ACT, 3.5 GPA)
At the behest of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, MTSU used 3D printers to help health care workers guard against COVID-19.
Out of the Blue, MTSU’s long-running monthly TV program, pivoted to two shows per week containing crucial and timely information on the University’s response to the pandemic. The program, facilitated by Andrew Oppmann, MTSU’s vice president of marketing and communications, began broadcasting on the University’s main Facebook page. Rebranded as Stay on Course, the web-only show featured twiceweekly productions about the University’s response to COVID-19.
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A virtual commencement ceremony broadcast via Facebook Live and livestreamed on Saturday, May 9, celebrated our Spring 2020 graduates. Each also received a True Blue Graduation Box in the mail. On April 29, the University hosted a virtual stole ceremony for graduating student veterans.
Remote tutoring was launched for 200 courses and subject areas. The free service— normally offered at the Tutoring Spot in James E. Walker Library and various oncampus locations by the MTSU Office of Student Success—was available to students via Zoom online teleconferencing and other methods. MTSU’s Margaret H. Ordoubadian University Writing Center also guided students through classwork in cyberspace.
The campus pharmacy and Student Health Services remained open and available to students living in residence halls on campus, in nearby apartments or rental property off campus, or in the surrounding communities.
Students who vacated their residence hall rooms before April 19 were eligible for a partial refund. While MT Dining remained open for takeout and available to the more than 500 students who continued to live on campus, MTSU absorbed the financial cost of offering a refund plan on unused meals for students who returned home. Sheridan Sain, a senior majoring in Business Administration who graduated in May, was 36 weeks pregnant at the time of the campus shutdown. "MTSU has supported those students and have made it known they are here to help in any way they can,” she said. Based on CDC recommendations, MTSU has assigned only one student per dorm bedroom for the fall semester, while prioritizing freshmen. MTSU apartment residency remains unchanged. MTSU continues to work with students who have been affected by the pandemic.
Professors like Anne Anderson, MTSU’s Weatherford Chair of Finance, adjusted teaching methods and tapped technology for remote learning, as did hundreds of other professors and instructors across campus in response to the ongoing coronavirus threat.
MTSU supported students needing technology assistance by distributing laptops and providing hot spots to help students with remote classes.
About 25 MTSU Nursing students helped staff the Tennessee Department of Health’s COVID-19 hotline at the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s Command Center in Nashville.
Summer 2020 21
MTSU also provided a credit to each enrolled student’s account to offset the cost of the portion of the program services fee that covers student recreation (including the Campus Recreation Center); postal services; campus access (including parking services); and international services. In addition, MTSU is not charging the online course fee for summer sessions.
Students were provided a pass-fail grading option for classes they were enrolled in during the Spring 2020 semester.
Thanks to our Admissions and Marketing teams and their creative efforts to attract excellent students to our University, we have 17,394 students registered for Fall 2020 as compared to 16,958 students at this same time last summer, which is 436 more students, or an increase of 2.57%. 22 MTSU Magazine
MTSU’s Admissions recruiting team pursued an alternate route when its scheduled on-campus tour event was canceled because of coronavirus precautions. The staff conducted True Blue Spotlight livestream events or virtual happenings for prospective students and their families to get as close of a look as was allowed of the Blue Raider campus.
Our Student Affairs team continued to innovate ways to keep our students connected through virtual Connection Point events, which are crucial Campus Life events geared toward student retention. As an example, caricature artist Adam Pate produced real-time portraits of students who registered for a webinar.
MTSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy continued its popular Star Party events online. Using the University’s on-campus telescope, the Star Party series brings students, families, and community members together on campus for interesting science talks and amazing looks into outer space.
Students had remote access— and restricted physical access for pickups—to James E. Walker Library as the University continued to adapt to changes necessitated by the COVID-19 outbreak. Thousands of resources from e-books to articles from magazines, newspapers, and academic journals, to audio and video resources, were available online as students continued their studies from home. “Pull and Hold” also enabled students to continue to check out books via the library’s website prior to the governor’s statewide safer-athome order.
With the added stresses of stay-at-home orders and the switch to remote learning for all of our students, MTSU’s counseling professionals continued offering a variety of free, remote mental health resources to students, faculty, and staff during the pandemic.
Su Ling, a graduate of the College of Media and Entertainment who works for China Radio International in Beijing, and Li Jiabin, the first exchange student from China Agriculture University, reached out to other MTSU alumni in China and provided 1,000 N95 masks for use by Student Health Services and University Police.
The Blue Zoo student group made its return to Floyd Stadium and Murphy Center in 2019 after being nearly dormant for two years. During the pandemic, the group contributed $1,000 to a University fund to aid students who are unable to work because of campus or business closings.
Summer 2020 23
The University donated and delivered 400-plus bottles of our famous MTSU Creamery chocolate milk to Hobgood Elementary School one morning during the pandemic to help them continue the mobile CHOW Bus breakfast and lunch meals program while students were out of school because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school, part of the Murfreesboro City Schools system, was running low on milk and wasn't expecting another delivery soon.
MTSU’s Student Food Pantry continued to feed students in need. Bags of food and hygiene products remained available for students at the Student Services and Admissions Center. [Note: Donations can be made electronically at mtsu.edu to various student emergency funds and services, including the food pantry, that support students in need.]
In mid-February, Cara Skaggs scheduled a meeting to defend her dissertation to her committee on March 25. Little did she know that she would be defending four years of hard work from her kitchen table during a pandemic. Skaggs earned her third degree from MTSU—a Doctor of Education in Assessment, Learning, and School Improvement from the MTSU College of Education—at a virtual dissertation defense with her advisors. She got to hear herself called “Dr. Skaggs” for the first time on Zoom. Skaggs is currently the coordinator of school improvement for Maury County Public Schools. 24 MTSU Magazine
The Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU transformed its Fox Reading Conference from a hybrid of in-person and cyberspace communication to an all-digital endeavor because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Some 5,500 people on four continents logged in for all or part of the March 21 videoconferencing session.
MTSU Graduate Studies temporarily offered a $1 application fee (normally $35) to help support prospective students during the COVID-19 crisis. It also waived admission tests (GRE, GMAT, etc.) for many of its programs. This will apply for Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 start terms.
Recent MTSU graduate Cassidy Johnson, a Buchanan Fellow and Media Management major, turned her nearlyempty residence hall into a dance studio. Before the pandemic, Johnson would work out almost daily for four hours at MTSU’s Campus Recreation Center and drive to her studio in Nashville two to three times a week for six-hour dance practice sessions with her coach. After choosing to stay in the dorms for convenience and safety, she created her own daily dance “boot camp” schedule to keep herself sane. Asked if anyone had run into her dance sessions in the hallway yet, she laughed. “I think I’ve seen—face to face— maybe three people? No one complained about me being disruptive yet!”
Fifteen student workers at the farm laboratories and MTSU Creamery—and about 50 altogether on campus in various academic departments—were deemed “essential” workers by Provost Mark Byrnes. This small group of student workers continued to staff areas where their hands-on services were needed, including the University farm, on-campus computer labs, and flight instruction.
About to graduate summa cum laude and head to graduate school, undergraduate researcher Lucas Remedios participated in his second consecutive Scholars Week. Only this time it was a virtual event featuring more than 150 research posters available for viewing online, rather than the usual weeklong schedule of activities and speakers.
Since K–12 students couldn’t go to their classrooms, MTSU College of Education experts helped provide parents with the tools to conduct a “Classroom in Your Living Room.” The college, with technical assistance from the Center for Educational Media, produced a podcast series designed to assist parents trying to keep their children’s minds on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new batch of freshmen and transfer students embarking on their MTSU journey experienced CUSTOMS orientation in a new way in summer 2020. Presentations, group meetings, academic advising, and registration took place virtually as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
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MTSU’s new Behavioral and Health Sciences building was designed with today’s realities in mind
by Drew Ruble
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MTSU created the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences as part of an academic reorganization less than a decade ago to better focus on preparing research-based service providers and to offer the best education in health, mental health, and human services in the state of Tennessee. In many ways, alumni of the six disciplines that make up CBHS—Criminal Justice Administration, Health and Human Performance, Human Sciences, Nursing, Psychology, and Social Work—are still getting used to the idea that they are connected to MTSU’s “newest” college, since many of them earned their degrees before its creation. These anchor programs have long been part of MTSU’s remarkable community impact, preparing the front-line professionals who are essential to ensuring that communities thrive. Now the college is taking the next step in its evolution, opening its new $39.6 million building for the Fall 2020 semester. This academic building brings together three of the college’s six departments—Criminal Justice Administration (CJA), Psychology, and Social Work— which offer highly related, integrative programs previously located in multiple buildings across the campus, to allow for greater collaboration.
It’s a timely project given the uncertain world we live in today. The building provides critically needed classrooms, offices, and lab space for CBHS and its programs, including eye tracker and whisper rooms for neuroscience, sensation and perception, and cognitive research; dedicated labs for collecting questionnaire and other data; and computer labs specifically for teaching undergraduate and graduate statistics and data collection. It’s a timely project given the uncertain world we live in today. For instance, in the wake of the recent and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some of the work that will take place in the new building could have far-reaching positive impacts on society as a whole. “We’re going to be going beyond traditional criminal justice,” said Lance Selva, the former CJA department chair (as of March 2020). “We’re expanding into homeland security, emergency management, . . .
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predictive analytics. . . . And this isn’t just border security stuff. We’re talking about new technologies capable of securing the United States.” The new facility also has a command center where CJA students can practice coordinating and mobilizing resources when disasters strike. “We’ll be getting into emergency management and disaster relief management, too. We’ll be bringing in experts to help our professors teach the latest methods of coordinating resources,” Selva said. “We’ll have a command center, for instance, that is an emergencysimulation room with 28 computers, multiple projectors, and four 80-inch monitors that can serve as TV screens as well as show computer screens. This will be hands-on learning, not abstract learning.” Located between the Student Union Building and the Tennessee Livestock Center, the CBHS building was constructed using $35.1 million in state funding. Additional needed funds were raised by the University. The designer was Bauer Askew, while Turner Construction was the construction manager/general contractor for the project. The state-of-the-art, 91,000-square-foot building offers amenities that were unimaginable in previous departmental configurations. As an example, Department of Psychology faculty taught in classrooms spread across campus while their offices were in Jones Hall. Psychology students previously had a closet-size testing room that doubled as storage space for files and videos. With all three departments being housed in the new building, it will also facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration
between CJA, Psychology, and Social Work. There’s lots of overlap in those disciplines. The interactions of each department’s students and faculty will be greatly enhanced—they won’t have to walk across campus anymore. Such an environment will be ripe with opportunities for innovation.
The new facility also has a command center where CJA students can practice . . . mobilizing resources when disasters strike. In addition to faculty offices being in the same building as classrooms, the new building will have large and small spaces for students to spend time before and after class, facilitating the kind of impromptu meetings and informal discussions (among students or between students and faculty) that deepen the learning experience. Students from across the three disciplines now have much better access to spaces outside of the classroom that will bring about their interaction with each other and with faculty—and give them a better opportunity to be comfortable as they meet, read, study, and relax before and between classes. The new, interconnected building also will make it easier for students to be familiar with and locate their professors to access their help with coursework and professional advising. MTSU photos: J. Intintoli
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Alum Lee Foster rises from unpaid intern to co-owner (and preserver) of Jimi Hendrix’s historic Electric Lady Studios in New York City by Skip Anderson
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When Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York City turns 50 in August 2020, MTSU alumnus Lee Foster just might get the honor of blowing out the candles. Foster, a 2002 graduate from MTSU’s heralded Recording Industry program, is widely credited with saving the iconic facility from collapse and then expanding the business model. He credits his career in the music business to a tenacity that his mentors in the MTSU program saw at a time perhaps he didn’t. That tenacity helped Foster—a self-confessed subpar student until he found the Recording Industry Department—advance from an unpaid internship to studio manager and co-owner.
Preservation Paths When Foster took his first step onto the career ladder in 2002, he left a footprint in the ashes where the Music Industry v1.0 had stood until the peer-to-peer, free-music stampede blasted its revenue streams to smithereens. The morning he carried his suitcase from Penn Station to Greenwich Village, there were signs that the Electric Lady was teetering on the verge of insolvency. Most notably, the studio’s client base was dwindling from a slow stream to barely a trickle. But shuttering the studio meant shuttering a manifestation of Hendrix’s enduring legacy, and that was an outcome Foster, whose first real weekly paycheck would be $150, couldn’t fathom. After all, the studio had beaten the odds before, somehow remaining solvent when Hendrix died only 23 days after he hosted an A-list grand opening soiree. The studio was famous from the start because its genre-shaping founder was renowned across the globe as one of rock’s most inventive guitarists. But what would happen within its walls after his death at the age of 27 would propel the studio to iconic status. It’s where David Bowie and John Lennon would write and record the song “Fame” in under 24 hours and where Patti Smith would record her seminal debut album, Horses. It’s the studio where AC/DC recorded overdubs and mixed Back in Black, the sixth bestselling 32 MTSU Magazine
Lee Foster
album of all time, and where Led Zeppelin recorded Physical Graffiti. KISS laid down tracks for Dressed to Kill and The Clash recorded much of their double-platinum album Combat Rock there. The Soulquarian movement torchbearers Questlove, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Common took up residency at Electric Lady Studios for six years that straddled the new millennium. Their departure coincided with the financial wrecking ball that Napster’s free file-sharing sent through the industry worldwide, leaving the studio in perilous straits.
Foster with Lady Gaga
But before Foster could save the studio, he first had to save his collegiate career. Right out of the Blue Raider gate, he stumbled—and he wants people to know it. He struggled as a freshman to find his tribe and purpose, and Foster soon found himself in academic trouble. Then, when his father fell ill, he dropped out to work on the family farm in Smithville, Tennessee.
Much of what I learned at MTSU comes into play in my professional life. “When I first got to MTSU, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was a poor student, and I was easily distracted. I stumbled into college, and I did poorly,” Foster said. “By my sophomore year, I got placed on academic probation, so I went home to help Dad with the farm, doing all that country stuff. I had given up on college. I started dating the small-town girl and wearing overalls, and I figured that’s what I would do with the rest of my life. But, six months in, I realized I had to give it one last try and went blazing back to MTSU with a newfound purpose.” Foster says his return to MTSU marked a turning point, not just academically, but personally and professionally as well. When he finally found his career path, it was largely through happenstance. “It wasn’t until I walked across campus and past the [Bragg Media and Entertainment] Building and saw people who looked like me that I found some direction,” he said. Summer 2020 33
“I stopped everything I was doing at that moment and joined the Recording Industry program.” That decision led Foster to his new academic advisor, Beverly Keel, a Recording Industry professor who later chaired the department and was recently named dean of the entire College of Media and Entertainment. “I remember Lee as being a great kid with passion,” Keel said. “I wasn’t sure where or how, but you just knew he was going to do something great. I think not only did MTSU give him the education, but we introduced him to the foundations of the music business and showed him that success is a possibility.” Foster remembers Keel as the person who set him on a path where he would eventually create success. “I owe so much to Beverly Keel,” he said. “She’s the person who really impacted me. There was this moment that I knew I wanted to get into this business, but I was literally starting at zero—I didn’t even know what ‘music industry’ meant. She was assigned to be my faculty advisor, and she was always supportive and patient, and she gave tremendous advice. I still see her and talk to her now. That relationship was vital to my development and confidence to go forward.” Once he began to excel in the classroom, Foster says he found another pivotal ally in Loren Mulraine, a Recording Industry professor who taught at MTSU for 14 years. “Lee was one of those students who always wanted to know what the business ramifications were for all of the legal issues we discussed in class,” said Mulraine, who now
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serves as director of music and entertainment law studies at Belmont University’s College of Law. “He was clearly one of those students who had his eye on not just being in the industry, but making a difference in the industry. I am not surprised that he became an entrepreneur. I definitely plan to visit Electric Lady and maybe even do some work there the next time I get to my hometown of New York.”
Soon the client list ranged from Kanye West to Taylor Swift. Foster soon aligned all aspects of his life with music. “Once I found the path, I decided I would only do music-related things moving forward,” he said. “I started working at a local record store in Murfreesboro. And I started doing stagehand work in Nashville, Atlanta, and Louisville—we’d set up and tear down big shows like the Rolling Stones and Elton John.” As he struggled to find the internship he needed to graduate, his then-girlfriend offered a nudge that would lead Foster to Electric Lady Studios. “I had meetings in Nashville trying to get my foot in the door, and I remember feeling like I just was not invited. Also, Napster had surfaced by then and the entire industry was on its heels right as I was walking into it,” Foster said. “My girlfriend often talked about how she would spend her summers in New York City growing up. I had never been to New York, but I still set my sights on it. “A lot of people around me thought I was insane. They’d look at me as if I’d said, ‘I’m going to build a spaceship
in the parking lot and go to Mars.’ But I had made some contacts in New York and ultimately was introduced to John Seymour, an audio engineer who’d come up through Electric Lady. He made the introduction that ultimately resulted in the internship.” But the Electric Lady was in physical and financial disrepair, and its leaders were unsure how to move forward. “It was very tired, and aesthetically, it was pretty run down,” Foster said. “It was on the back end of the Soulquarian era here. It was cool—amazing at times. I started assisting sessions—Erykah Badu was my first. But, when a receptionist left, I asked to be taken off sessions and to instead answer the phones. The studio’s future seemed uncertain, and I felt it was smart to network just in case.” After the unpaid internship ended, he returned to Tennessee. “The only work I could find in Nashville was work I had already done there—I couldn’t take the next step,” he said. “I struggled for nine months, then the studio asked me to come back. I decided to go back, but once I returned, the Soulquarian community was gone and it seemed everyone in the music industry had lost their way to the digital era.
It’s where David Bowie and John Lennon would write and record the song “Fame." “But I worked hard, and I was stubborn and persistent. And I found ways to make myself useful: If the boiler wouldn’t work, I would figure it out and fix it. If the AC didn’t work, I’d figure out where to kick it to get it going again. The owners at the time saw that I was saving them money on repairs, so I was able to keep a position as the inevitable layoffs began to occur. And all of this was happening as major studios in New York, Los Angeles, London—these massive facilities—were shutting down. Each week, another one would announce it was closing.”
Change Agent Electric Lady Studios is once again vibrant and active. And much of the credit goes to an unpaid intern whose tenacity—specifically in recruiting artists back to the studio to record—helped him rise through the ranks. The turnaround began when Americana artist Ryan Adams called Foster one morning at dawn to take him up on a recent offer he had extended to record at Electric Lady. They recorded the song “Two” and subsequently the rest of the Easy Tiger album over the next few months.
The dominoes started to fall. Patti Smith returned to Electric Lady for her 2007 album Twelve. Soon the client list ranged from Kanye West to Taylor Swift. Daft Punk recorded tracks for Random Access Memories there, which won the 2014 Grammy for Foster with Keith Richards Album of the Year. Beck’s Morning Phase, winner of the 2015 Grammy for Album of the Year, also was recorded in part and mixed at Electric Lady. And Adele’s 25 was mixed entirely at the facility, winning the 2017 Album of the Year Grammy. The momentum hasn’t stopped. As recently as early 2020, artists ranging from Nashville icon Steve Earle to global pop phenomenon Lady Gaga have worked on their most recent projects at the studio. As L'Officiel recently wrote, “The output of only the last three years makes it hard to think of another single location involved in a similar level of work.” Not only did Foster provide the drive to restore Hendrix’s vision for the facility as a cultural juggernaut dedicated to fostering creativity, but he also expanded the business to include a record label, content programming partnerships, and an engineer/producer management division. To what does he attribute all this success? “When I moved to New York, I was young, and I didn’t really need much. I had no romantic relationships or children, so I could be nimble and lean—and there were a lot of lean years. I was scrappy and stubborn, and that’s been a major key to my success,” Foster said. “It’s also true that much of what I learned at MTSU comes into play in my professional life. I recognize there are people who go to college and don’t use it, but I use every bit of it. I wouldn’t have done this well had it not been for that education as my starting point.” Foster and his mentor, investor Keith Stoltz, now run Electric Lady Studios as business partners. And on the eve of its 50th anniversary, in large part due to an MTSU alum, the studio is enjoying a hard-earned renaissance worthy of its founder’s reputation. MTSU
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The story of a dogged research team, a cantankerous plant, and wine that could change the world by Allison Gorman
Wine has been integral in human culture for thousands of years, from the Last Supper to the works of Shakespeare to Hannibal Lecter’s “nice Chianti.” But, despite its global reach, the flow of commercial wines begins in a few distinct regions within two narrow latitudinal bands—one in the Northern Hemisphere, most famously including Tuscany and parts of California, and one in the Southern Hemisphere, encompassing parts of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. The wines most of us recognize, whether or not we drink them, come from one species of grape, which flourishes in the cool nights and warm days specific to those fertile regions. “The chardonnays, the cabernet sauvignons, the merlots, the pinot noirs, the sauvignon blancs, those are all Vitis vinifera,” MTSU Agriculture Professor Tony Johnston said. “The global industry is built on that genus and species—from 95% to 99% of commercial vines. There are just a handful of other species that are commercially grown for wine production around the world.” Zion Market Research projects that the wine industry will reach $423.6 billion in global revenues by the end of 2023. Finding a grape that could flourish outside Vitis vinifera’s 20-degree latitudinal range could give whole swaths of the world, many of them quite poor, access to that lucrative market—or at least provide one other means of economic self-sufficiency. “If another variety of grape can be shown to be viable and produce good-quality product, we can open up the whole equatorial range of the earth to grape production,” Johnston said. In other words, Johnston is not crazy for spending the last 25 years mildly obsessing over Vitis aestivalis, a North American grape commonly known as Norton/Cynthiana. Norton/Cynthiana is not on anybody’s wine tour. It’s the official grape of Missouri. But like Mark Twain and Harry Truman, it’s notoriously scrappy. Unlike its delicate cousin in Napa Valley, it shrugs off little things like drought, humidity, diseases, and pests. Grown primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest U.S., Norton/Cynthiana is traditionally used for table grapes, juices, jams, and jellies. It makes for delicious wine too, Johnston said. He first worked with it in the mid-1990s as a research assistant at the University of Arkansas, and he believes it has “enormous economic potential”—if it can be propagated. In the words of a certain Shakespearean prince (and almost certainly a wine drinker), “Ay, there’s the rub.” 36 MTSU Magazine
Frustration by the Bucket Amanda Uhls is not an expert at propagating Norton/Cynthiana. But having spent an entire fall, winter, and spring trying unsuccessfully to get the darn thing to root, she can tell you a thing or two about not propagating it. Twice a month from September 2015 through August 2016, Uhls, an Honors Biology student from Kingston, Tennessee, grabbed a 5-gallon bucket and drove to the Rutherford County Agricultural Extension property west of I-24, about 20 minutes from campus. From there she’d take a dirt road to a small plot where Johnston had arranged to plant 200 Norton/Cynthiana vines donated to him by an east Tennessee farmer who’d bought too many. When the dirt road got too muddy to drive on, she had to park her car and make the last part of the trip by foot— a 10- to 15-minute slog. She’d take maybe 45–50 cuttings, enough to fill the bucket, haul it back to the car, drive to the greenhouse behind the Science Building, and put the new cuttings in a growing medium. Then she’d check all her previous cuttings for roots and record the results. MTSU Biology Professor John DuBois, a plant physiologist, gave Uhls the project. His goal was to find out when Norton/ Cynthiana propagated best. DuBois had heard horror stories from Johnston about how hard the vine is to propagate in the traditional manner. Johnston still has vivid memories—or maybe they’re flashbacks—of being a doctoral student in Arkansas, trying to root enough cuttings to replace the occasional Norton/Cynthiana vine that failed. “With every other variety of grapes, we could just take a few cuttings and put them in the greenhouse in the winter, and in the spring go back and plant them, and we’d have plenty of vines,” Johnston said. “With this variety, we couldn’t take enough cuttings. We literally had greenhouses full [of them] to get a handful of plants in the spring.” After hearing those stories, DuBois had tried to propagate the grape himself because how hard could it be? He took cuttings in March and tried to root them. They died. He got better results from cuttings he took in June, but the majority of those died too. So when he gave Uhls her project in September, he warned her not to get her hopes up, especially before June. Still, Uhls found it disheartening, making the bi-weekly slog from vineyard to greenhouse and then to DuBois, only to deliver the same one-word report: “Nothing.” Professor John DuBois
“It was very hard, to say the least,” she said. “There was one month where I got maybe three or four roots, and it was the biggest deal ever—like, ‘I got something!’—and then literally right after that it went right back to zero for the next few months. Every time I would tell Dr. DuBois I had nothing, he’d have to remind me, ‘Nothing is still a result.’ ” Summer 2020 37
The fact this was Uhls’ Honors thesis project at MTSU made everything worse. She was supposed to graduate in December 2016. As the months ticked away with no discernable progress, she started feeling panicky. “By the end of May, I knew there wasn’t enough time to meet with a new advisor to change projects or even do an entire project,” she said. “It was kind of scary, wondering whether or not I was going to finish my thesis.” Johnston compares research to that classic definition of war— “long periods of boredom punctuated by sheer terror.”
Surprising Successes In June, nothing turned to something. Some of the cuttings rooted. Not most of them, but significantly more than zero. Uhls got enough data to write her thesis and graduate as planned. Undeterred, she accepted a job as a microbiologist at a state of Tennessee public health lab, where she is still happily employed. DuBois got enough data to know that he needed more data. He and Johnston agreed that the study was publishable, but not with just one year’s worth of numbers. So DuBois repeated the experiment with another undergraduate Honors thesis student, Nolan Jolley, making the bi-weekly slog—this time from March to October, since DuBois knew the cuttings wouldn’t root in winter, the way most grapes do. Jolley’s data supported what DuBois and Johnston suspected: Unlike every other commercially produced grape in the world, Norton/Cynthiana propagates best in June.
Tony Johnston and John DuBois with a batch of new student researchers: Clockwise from left: Tia Shutes, Johnston, Zachary Lay, DuBois, Daniel Knopf, Savannah Lawwell, Elizabeth Anne Smith, Payal Patel, and George Schroeder. photo: Andy Heidt 38 MTSU Magazine
“That’s not a good time to propagate grapes because they’re going to be setting fruits,” DuBois noted.
“You don’t want to be cutting plants at that point.” To summarize: The worst time to propagate Norton/Cynthiana is when it propagates best. “And even when it’s doing well, it’s still poor,” Johnston offered. The best propagation rate he and DuBois ever achieved with their cuttings was 30%, he says. That’s compared to 90%–95% for most commercial grape varieties. So the study was bad news for anyone wanting to propagate Norton/Cynthiana through traditional farming methods. But it was good news for Uhls and Jolley, whose efforts were ultimately rewarded with a publication. The two MTSU students are listed as first and second authors, followed by Johnston and DuBois, of “The Effect of Sample Date and Timing of Cuttings for Maximum Propagation Efficiency of the Grape, Vitis aestivalis ‘Norton/ Cynthiana’” in the March 2018 issue of Food and Nutrition Sciences. Being published before graduate school isn’t as rare as it used to be, especially for Biology majors at MTSU, DuBois said. But, as more undergraduates get published, the pressure grows on all undergraduates to have research experience if they want to compete for spots in the workforce or graduate school. Uhls did a good job as an undergraduate setting herself up to succeed. In addition to working in DuBois’ lab, she interned two years in the state lab where she eventually was hired. Upon graduation, the state paid her to work part-time and earn her certification as a medical technologist in microbiology. Now as a full-time employee, she’s pursuing her master’s degree in Epidemiology. While Uhls had already landed a great job by the time her research was
published, she says having principal authorship of a publication was an important addition to her résumé. “MTSU has a lot of students that get published, so we’re all fortunate to have gone there and to have researchoriented professors who incorporate their students into their work,” she said. “But when you do research, it’s a big deal whose name goes first on the paper, because that’s who is [considered] most responsible for it. It’s still surreal to me that there’s a published paper with my name listed first.”
A Fungus among Us It was a trip Johnston took to Honduras 14 years earlier—a study abroad trip totally unrelated to grapes—that eventually led to Uhls getting top billing on a published paper. A fairly new faculty member at MTSU at that point, Johnston hadn’t worked with Norton/Cynthiana in ages, although he still puzzled about the irascible plant from time to time. He had stopped to check out a small, state-run agricultural school in central Honduras when he saw what appeared to be grapevines growing in the distance. “It was like walking down Main Street and seeing an elephant,” he said. “Everything was wrong. The latitude, the environment. I didn’t even know they had grapes growing in Central America.” Johnston couldn’t stop wondering about what he’d seen, and so on a return trip to Honduras, he went back to that school and asked how and why they were growing grapes there. It turns out that a faculty member had traveled to Italy, collected cuttings from a vineyard there, brought them back to Honduras, and established a small vineyard. Proceeds from wine sales were helping fund school operations.
Growing grapes where they do not want to grow is not easy. Over the course of several years, as Johnston kept up his relationship with the school, he heard stories about their struggle to keep the vineyard going in a tropical climate. The humidity and hot nights were a big problem, and the insects were an even bigger one, controlled only through pesticides. While the school managed to make it work, Johnston was told the cost of chemicals alone would be prohibitive for the typical Honduran farmer. Johnston thought about that, then said, “What you guys need is a better grape.”
Interdisciplinary research is now far more likely to attract federal grants, which constitute most research funding for large public universities like MTSU. In 2013, Johnston began handdelivering Norton/Cynthiana cuttings to the school, bringing down a few hundred cuttings at a time in duffle bags. In 2014, with an International Foundation grant aimed at improving the lives of poor people in developing communities, Johnston purchased new trellis posts and other infrastructure for the little vineyard. He also continued hauling grapevine cuttings down to the school—about 1,500–2,000 total. Only 12 rooted. Meanwhile, the school had hired a new director, Mario Turcios, a
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“They now require that you present collaborative proposals, not individual researchers focused on their research,” Johnston said. “They want inter-institutional proposals, they want interdisciplinary proposals, so it’s become formalized, the recognition that ‘I can’t answer all the questions myself; I need other experts to come put their heads on this problem.’ And I think it’s great. It’s taken us a while to come around to the idea that more heads are a lot better than one.”
graduate of Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School, the flagship agricultural institution for Central and South America. Turcios developed an alternative plan, asking Zamorano Assistant Professor Maria Bravo to clone the cuttings instead. Although not a traditional farming method, using biotechnology to clone a plant is a tried-and-true process: You take a piece of a live plant, surface sterilize it, remove a tiny piece of tissue, and put that tissue in a sterile dish with a growth medium—a special formulation with nutrients and hormones that will direct the tissue to become callus. From the callus—the plant equivalent of stem cells—you grow a plantlet. Except not with Norton/Cynthiana. “I visited Maria’s lab several times and saw firsthand the overgrown plates she was encountering,” Johnston said. “She actually kept some rooted grape plants in her greenhouse to have a supply of tissue to cut from and literally tried until there were no plants left to work with. Mold would overtake the tissue culture plate within 24 hours—fast.” Johnston hadn’t grappled with the grape since 1995, but Norton/ Cynthiana had found a new way to confound him.
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Big-Picture Problem When Johnston first worked with Norton/Cynthiana, the grape was simply a puzzle in an Arkansas greenhouse—an interesting agricultural aberration. Nearly 20 years later, it had developed into a biotechnological conundrum in Honduras, with potentially global economic implications. That’s the sort of big-picture problem the U.S. government wants universities to solve. A project spanning disciplines would almost certainly have broader real-world applications, and interdisciplinary research is now far more likely to attract federal grants, which constitute most research funding for large public universities like MTSU, Johnston said. “I’m highly encouraged that the federal grant-making agencies have endorsed the idea of collaboration,” he said. “I think it reflects the reality of the problems that we’re trying to solve.” The trend has been most obvious with major grant-funding organizations within the federal government, such as the National Science Foundation, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), he says.
In the spirit of that philosophy, when Johnston got back to MTSU from Honduras, he stopped to talk to Shannon Smith, then a new Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. student working in the plant tissue culture lab in MTSU’s new Science Building. Johnston knew that Smith, who earned an Agriculture bachelor’s degree before moving to Biology for graduate work, was smart. Johnston told him about Norton/ Cynthiana and how the lab in Honduras was trying to get callus out of tissue culture but was getting nothing but mold. Smith offered to give it a shot himself. “Shannon did the classic newgraduate-student thing,” Johnston recalled. “He said, ‘Oh, I can solve that problem. Why don’t you just give me some cuttings?’ And I laughed and laughed, and I said, ‘You know what? You’re on.’ ” Eight weeks later, Johnston got an update from Smith: “Nothing but mold.” “He’d just learned the first lesson of graduate school,” Johnston said. “Don’t think you can solve problems in the first swing.”
Digging In To be fair, DuBois had the same response when he heard that Norton/ Cynthiana was practically impossible
to propagate: He had to try it himself to believe it. And even then, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. That kind of tenacity is a prerequisite for a career in research, especially when the researcher’s hopes are regularly dashed by the whims of nature. Beyond any one academic lesson, Uhls says that’s the most important thing she learned from her research experience at MTSU— especially those long slogs with the 5-gallon bucket, those nine months of “nothing.” “I learned that not everything is going to happen right away,” she said. “A lot of my friends who did research projects ended up with so much data that they had to run statistical analyses, and I would think, ‘I have one data point that I’m excited about.’ It was kind of nice to see a real-world project rather than a lab-created one. It taught me perseverance and patience.” Through such perseverance and patience, what began as a casual conversation among scientists about a hard-to-propagate grape evolved over the course of a few months into a two-pronged interdisciplinary research project.
Smith, whose doctoral and other lab work had nothing to do with Norton/ Cynthiana, nevertheless spent much of the first part of 2015 watching mold overrun tissue culture plates. Meanwhile, DuBois was on a parallel track, taking cuttings from Johnston’s little vineyard off campus and watching them not root.
Slicing the Pie DuBois is particular about the undergraduates he invites to work in his research lab. When he teaches freshman Honors biology, he notices the students who show up to class, who raise their hands, who make good grades, who show intellectual curiosity. Those are the students he seeks out for project work. When students he doesn’t know seek him out, he gets a scouting report from their professors. He’s looking for other qualities too—like reliability and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Biology students in the University Honors College, who’ve committed to completing a researchbased thesis project, tend to have those qualities. DuBois and his Honors thesis students have a symbiotic relationship. The
students need a research project and a mentor; DuBois needs help with the myriad sub-projects emerging from complex research problems like Norton/Cynthiana. He cuts up those big projects “like a pie,” he said. “Every student takes a slice and works on it.” Thanks to a USDA grant, the Norton/ Cynthiana project has been divided into about a dozen slices. No two slices have been alike. For example, while Uhls was in the vineyard and the greenhouse, slogging and fretting, Aimee Wilson was in the tissue culture lab, fighting fungi. DuBois had brought Wilson, another Biology Honors thesis student, onto the project to help Smith, who had his own research to do. In his solo attempts to clone the grape tissue, Smith had made a critical discovery: Norton/Cynthiana had a fungal endophyte. The fungus was coming from inside Norton/Cynthiana. Smith had succeeded in taking pictures of it with an electron microscope.
Summer 2020 41
A fungal endophyte isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Johnston says. Who knows? It could turn out that some of the qualities that make Norton/ Cynthiana so resilient—its tolerance for drought and humidity, its resistance to pests and disease— are attributable to the fungus that naturally lives inside it.
Lesson Learned Even before she received her slice of grape project pie, Wilson had distinguished herself in DuBois’ lab. Like most newbies, she’d spent time under the tutelage of more experienced undergraduates and grad students, learning basic procedures like sterilization and note-taking—as Smith puts it, “the hundred little persnickety things that protect you in your research.” As a lab assistant under Smith and graduate student Matthew
“There should be no reason to use an antifungal agent if you’re using sterile techniques,” Johnston said. DuBois and Smith worked up various procedures for Wilson to try, all involving fungicides. She plugged away at it. Finally, success: mold-free callus tissue. “I had a couple of failures at the beginning, but once I got it, I got it,” she said. “Sometimes negative results are a good thing, because it tells you what you’re doing wrong, so you can change it and try to get better. That’s the biggest lesson that I learned from the whole project.” Now, as a first-year medical student at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in South Carolina, Wilson challenges herself to adopt a new mindset when she’s faced with a difficult concept.
Johnston compares research to that classic definition of war—“long periods of boredom punctuated by sheer terror.“ Fuller, Wilson “stepped up to every challenge we set for her,” Smith said. So he wasn’t surprised when, given her own project, she stepped up again. Wilson picked up where he’d left off, trying to get callus tissue without the mold. Except now the job seemed impossible, given that they’d established the mold lived inside, rather than on, the plant—and that the growing medium was 3% sugar. “You put fungi together with anything containing sugar, and the fungi will go crazy,” DuBois said. The goal was to find a workaround. The idea the team came up with— putting fungicide in the culture medium—flew in the face of basic laboratory protocol. 42 MTSU Magazine
“I try to change the way I’m looking at it or the way I’m thinking about it and see if that helps a little bit,” she said. “I have to step back and think, ‘OK, what am I doing wrong?’ and then try to fix it and see if that works. That’s something I learned through research.”
Sharing the Spotlight Wilson, like Uhls and Jolley, got a publication for her efforts. And, because her research wasn’t forced into a seasonal timeframe, it was published significantly earlier than theirs—months before Jolley even began his vineyard slog. “A Protocol for Endophyte-Free Callus Tissue of the Grape Vitis aestivalis ‘Norton/Cynthiana’ (Vitaceae)” appeared in the October
2016 issue of Agriculture Science. Once again, an undergraduate was first on the author list: Wilson, Fuller, Smith, Johnston, DuBois. The Norton/Cynthiana paper wasn’t Smith’s first publication, “but it’s one of my prouder ones,” he said, “simply because I was in a mentorship position with that one. I trained Aimee, and to see her get that accomplished—I’m more proud of that than I am of some of my other publications.” Norton/Cynthiana was Fuller’s first publication, although he’s now a doctoral student with two more under his belt. But he also deflects to the undergraduates on the grape project. “They spent hours and hours and hours getting that experiment to work,” Fuller said. “Shannon and I were there too, but we had our own experiments, so there was a fair amount of initiative they had to put in, and they did a really fantastic job. We watched them start off as students and end up as scientists.” The team culture of DuBois’ lab stays the same even as the team itself is continually changing. At the undergraduate level, the student-to-scientist cycle begins anew each year. Smith, who hopes to wrap up his own research project in a year or two, is overseeing a new group of lab assistants, as well as new Honors thesis students working on their own slices of grape project pie. Some are trying to learn more about the mold living inside Norton/ Cynthiana; others are trying to grow new Norton/Cynthiana plants that don’t carry the mold at all. As of October, Hannah Hall (’18), a former undergraduate Honors thesis student and now a lab technician for DuBois, had found small roots on some of the callus plates, and current Honors thesis students Rebekkah Riley and Sara Moore have been
MTSU undergraduate research grant recipients (l–r) Nolan Jolley, Amanda Uhls, and Aimee Wilson check the status of their grape projects in a special Science Building laboratory. photo: Andy Heidt
trying to generate plantlets a different way, using callus from flower tissue. “Once we get a plantlet from this callus and actually get it to grow, we can watch that plant and see whether it takes up the mold,” Johnston said. “Does it survive without the mold if it doesn’t take it up? How does it affect the fruit quality or the fruit flavor or the viability of the plant? As science does, one question leads to more.”
Time to Shine In research, you’re playing the long game. But there are wins all along the way. In 2016, just before Wilson graduated from MTSU, Johnston invited her and DuBois to go back with him to Honduras. He was taking a group of students on an agricultural tour there through the Tennessee Louis Stokes
Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) program, and Zamorano University would be one of their stops. Bravo was interested in seeing the new protocol for getting mold-free callus from Norton/Cynthiana.
When they walked out of the lab, they were both glowing. DuBois says one of the highlights of his job is watching students mature as scientists. And that’s something he’s uniquely positioned to do.
When the group arrived at Bravo’s lab, Wilson turned to DuBois.
“When Johnston told us that he wanted us to do this presentation, I told myself that Aimee was the one who did the work, that this was her project, her thesis,” he said. “She knew this stuff, and it would be a good experience for her. So I just thought she needed to take the lead, and I needed to step back and let her shine.”
“So, you’re going to do this, and I’ll assist you?” Wilson asked. “No,” he said, “you’re going to do it, and I’ll assist you.” Wilson looked surprised, DuBois recalled, but she stepped up. As Zamorano faculty and students looked on, she demonstrated the procedure with DuBois handing her instruments, “like she was the surgeon and I was the attending nurse,” the professor said.
Thanks to DuBois, Johnston, and Norton/Cynthiana, many more MTSU students will get a chance to shine too. MTSU
Summer 2020 43
A look at recent awards, events, and accomplishments at MTSU compiled by Gina E. Fann, Jimmy Hart, Gina K. Logue, Drew Ruble, and Randy Weiler
Day on the Hill
Connecting Flight MTSU trustees, administrators, and faculty turned the state capitol in Nashville “True Blue” during its annual legislative outreach Feb. 25. The delegation included President Sidney A. McPhee, Board of Trustees Chair Steve Smith, Trustee J.B. Baker, and former House Speaker Beth Harwell, who now serves as an MTSU Distinguished Visiting Professor. The group met with Gov. Bill Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, along with other legislators. Several lawmakers and key aides attended a lunch hosted by the University to recognize students serving as legislative interns through the College of Liberal Arts and student journalists covering the General Assembly for a College of Media and Entertainment class. Among other topics, MTSU reported on the progress of its many ready-to-work programs and success in producing college graduates for the state’s economy.
Provost Mark Byrnes led a team from MTSU to Delta Air Lines’ world headquarters in Atlanta to layer veteran outreach and adult degree completion opportunities upon the already substantial partnership between the two organizations. Byrnes was joined by retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber (pictured above), MTSU senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives; Hilary Miller, director of MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center; and Peggy Carpenter, associate dean of University College. The University officials and others in support roles met with leaders of Delta’s Propel program, which provides select MTSU Aerospace students with “qualified job offers” that detail a defined path and an accelerated timeline to become a pilot for the airline. MTSU was one of eight universities selected by Delta to participate in Propel.
MTSU Connect MTSU Connect—essentially an exclusive “LinkedIn” just for the MTSU community—is a new career and mentorship network where students, alumni, faculty, and staff can find fellow Blue Raiders in their local area or chosen industry, share ideas on a discussion board, and post job opportunities. Visit mtalumni.com/mtsuconnect to join.
44 MTSU Magazine
MIDPOINTS
More Grammy Gold MTSU alumni gave Grammy gold a “True Blue” tint on Jan. 26 when two graduates’ talents took them straight to the Staples Center stage in Los Angeles to accept Grammy Awards as the year’s best in music engineering and songwriting. Recording Industry graduate F. Reid Shippen (’94) hauled home his fifth career Grammy, this time for engineering Gloria Gaynor’s Best Roots Gospel Album, Testimony. And Aaron Raitiere, a 2009 M.F.A. alumnus, won his first Grammy for co-writing “I’ll Never Love Again” for A Star is Born in the Best Song for Visual Media category. Nine MTSU graduates in all were nominated for their work at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. MTSU now has 11 winners with a total of 32 Grammys since 2001 in multiple categories and genres. Alumni, former or current students, and faculty from across the University have been a part of more than 75 Grammy Award nominations in the last decade. Nominees were honored during MTSU’s seventh annual Grammy weekend gatherings, where alumni and former students are saluted and current students travel with faculty and staff to learn firsthand about the awards in backstage and pre-show events.
Good Stats MTSU student-athletes made the University proud with their work in the classroom during the 2020 spring semester. Even though they had to adjust to life without sports and away from campus, the Blue Raiders responded by excelling at remote learning, finishing the spring semester with an overall department GPA of 3.407 and the school year with a 3.216. Ten teams finished the semester with GPAs better than 3.5, and all but one had above a 3.2.
Something Borrowed, Something True Blue
After COVID-19 changed their wedding plans, College of Media and Entertainment alumni Abigail Stapler (’20) and Jared McDonald (’18), chose MTSU’s Walnut Grove to tie the knot. With only a few family and friends (as well as pets) present, the couple invited others to attend the May 15 ceremony via Zoom. The couple met while attending separate classes across the hallway from each other, so decided the campus was a perfect place to hold the ceremony.
Best in the Nation
MTSU’s insurance degree was ranked No. 1 in the nation among industry professionals, according to a survey by global ratings agency A.M. Best. The Risk Management & Insurance program in the Jones College of Business transitioned from a concentration to a full major four years ago. “We’ve been the best kept secret. . . . But we’re trying to change that. The secret, it seems, is out,” said MTSU Professor Dave Wood, who holds the Martin Chair of Insurance. Summer 2020 45
MIDPOINTS
Striking Match Match Records, the Department of Recording Industry’s student-run record label at MTSU, relaunched its imprint. Match Records gives Music Business majors an opportunity to use their professional skills by supporting artists in a real-world, label-services model. They showcase and develop artists with efforts that include singles releases, marketing events, and social media management alongside business foundation elements such as booking, management, and merchandising. A sampling of activities includes “tiny dorm concerts” and bookings at local venues like MTSU’s on-campus Chris Young Café.
Friend of the Educator MTSU College of Education Dean Lana Seivers, a former state commissioner of education under thenGov. Phil Bredesen, retired June 30. During her tenure working at her alma mater, Seivers led the development of MTSU's one-of-a-kind Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree, reorganized and improved the student teaching program, improved relationships with school districts statewide, and dealt adroitly with the seemingly unending challenges facing public education and those who prepare our future teachers. Associate Dean Rick Vanosdall was appointed to serve as interim dean.
Real-World Experience Thirteen students from MTSU’s Department of Media Arts honed their skills by working as pre-show or telecast crew members for the 53rd annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. The students, who are all studying multi-camera television production, were selected from the crew that did ESPN+ telecasts of Blue Raider volleyball and soccer games last fall. Eight students worked the CMA Awards show on ABC at Bridgestone Arena last November as talent production assistants. Five others helped on the red carpet show, produced by WKRN-Channel 2 in Nashville using MTSU’s mobile production truck and shared with 30 ABC affiliate stations.
True Blue Give Almost 700 MTSU alumni, friends, faculty, and staff—and even some current students —donated more than $450,000 toward scholarships, student emergency funds, academics, and athletics during the annual True Blue Give, a 72-hour online donor drive Feb. 12–14. Three out of every four MTSU students receive some sort of financial aid.
Voting Drive
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett presented MTSU with its top award Feb. 12 in the 2019 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition. The award is given to the top four-year university in the voter registration challenge, which took place last September during National Voter Registration Month. Hargett was joined by state Sen. Dawn White and state Rep. Mike Sparks in the presentation.
Tuition Free MTSU is spreading the message to prospective students and families about MT Tuition Free. With the lowest tuition and greatest value of the state’s three major comprehensive universities, tuition and fees at MTSU can be covered by federal aid and other scholarships, such as the HOPE scholarship, for students who fall within the income and academic criteria set by state and federal governments. www.mtsu.edu/tuition-free
46 MTSU Magazine
The
MTSU Daniels Center namesake, legend dies at 83 by Randy Weiler
HOME Country music legend Charlie Daniels was a passionate advocate for military veterans and had described the honor of his name upon MTSU’s veterans center as greater than his selection in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Daniels, called a “great patriot” by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, died suddenly on July 6 at age 83 following a stroke. “Charlie’s love of life and country was radiant and inspiring,” McPhee said. “And we at MTSU shall work every day to sustain and extend his legacy through the good works of the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center. Charlie will live on, not only through his music, but also through the lives lifted through his generosity.” Through Daniels and his nonprofit Journey Home Project, at least $350,000 has been raised and donated in the past four years to the Daniels Center. One of the nation’s largest, the veterans center is home to 1,000-plus military-connected students and family members. It was renamed to honor Daniels and his wife Hazel a year after its 2015 opening. “Charlie’s support will forever continue and live at MTSU as veterans and their precious military families nationwide seek the transition assistance of the center,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, MTSU senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives. The International Entertainment Buyers Association also established an MTSU scholarship in Daniels’ honor in 2013. “He was a big man with a larger-than-life personality and an even bigger heart,” said Beverly Keel, dean of MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment. MTSU illustration: Micah Loyed
Summer 2020 47
MIDPOINTS
A CIVICS CENTER Reliable
information when we need it most. Protect freedom of the press. freespeech.center
Reliable
information when we need it most. Protect freedom of the press. freespeech.center
Reliable
information when we need it most. Protect freedom of the press. freespeech.center
Reliable
information when we need it most.
Reliable
information when we need it most. Protect freedom of the press. freespeech.center
Protect freedom of the press. freespeech.center
MTSU’s new Free Speech Center gains its footing at a critical time in American discourse by Drew Ruble
If there was ever a man for his times, it’s Ken Paulson. One of America’s preeminent free speech scholars, Paulson routinely appears in articles across the nation as an authority on the First Amendment. He’s even testified before Congress on the matter. A former editor-in-chief of USA Today, Paulson joined MTSU as dean of the then-called College of Mass Communication in 2013. In addition to renaming the College of Media and Entertainment, he took the college to new heights during his tenure, revamping the media programs and changing the format of WMOT, a National Public Radio-affiliated radio station, among other achievements. But Paulson stepped down as dean in 2019 to create and helm MTSU’s new Free Speech Center—a First Amendment advocacy hub that aims to provoke thoughtful discussion and 48 MTSU Magazine
discourse at college campuses across the nation. It’s not his first rodeo.
they fail to consider what ‘no news’ would look like,” Paulson said.
Paulson served as president of the Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center on Vanderbilt University’s campus in nearby Nashville for more than a decade.
“Those of us who work to help the public understand and appreciate the value of a free press are often left to abstract arguments about accountability and transparency, with frequent mention of James Madison. . . . But today, Americans are facing an unprecedented threat, and the information you provide is saving lives.”
Paulson’s expertise serves as a needed antidote for the current social malaise featuring a puzzling dichotomy. On one hand, people need accurate news to ensure not just their health but their very lives. On the other hand, the president of the United States berates news outlets on a daily basis, accusing them of promoting falsities. Within this media storm, Paulson’s lifetime crusade to protect the freedom of press and his accompanying new venture at MTSU arguably could not be happening at a more relevant or critical time. “When unthinking people let phrases like ‘fake news’ roll off their tongues,
According to Paulson, that’s a story that needs to be told. It’s why one of the first major initiatives of the Free Speech Center at MTSU is a national campaign featuring a diverse group of Americans with a muchneeded message about the value of journalism in the COVID-19 age.
A New Hub Non-partisan and nonprofit, the Free Speech Center is dedicated to building awareness and support for the First Amendment through education and information. In its first
Learn more at freespeech.center
Aubrie Sellers
Ann Patchett
MY FREE
MY FREE
PRESS. press.
Becca Stevens
MY FREEdom
of faith.
Freedom of press protects my right to read and engage
Freedom of press protects my right to read and engage with
diverse viewpoints just as freedom of speech protects my ability to write and express myself through books without restraints. The First Amendment allows us to be who we are, freely. Freedom of speech, press, petition, and assembly. Five freedoms of expression. Protect one. Protect them all. Learn more at www.1forall.today.
with diverse viewpoints, not only those I agree with, just
as freedom of speech protects my ability to write and ex-
Faith is at the core of our Thistle Farms project, bringing hope
press myself through music without restraints. The First Amendment allows us to be who we are, freely. Freedom
and help to women in need, just as the other freedoms of the First
of speech, press, petition, and assembly. Five freedoms of
Amendment empower us to make a difference every day. Each of us is different, and these five freedoms allow you to be the special
expression. Protect one. Protect them all. Learn more at
person you are. Five freedoms of expression. Protect one. Protect
www.1forall.today.
them all. Learn more at www.1forall.today.
Billy Ray Cyrus Jason Isbell
Ketch Secor
MY FREE
SPEECH. My free speech allows me to sing and say whatever I believe,
just as the First Amendment protects freedom of faith, press, petition and assembly. Five freedoms of expression. Protect one. Protect them all. Learn more at www.1forall.today.
From Some Gave All through Old Town Road, I’ve had the
MY FREE
SPEECH. My Free Speech works best when I also endeavor to listen.
The First Amendment provides each of us the right to share our opinions, but in order for it to work we need to respect
freedom to express myself in music, television and film.
that this right is given equally to ALL Americans, even ones
But as I wrote and sang on my very first record, “many
we may disagree with. That makes the First Amendment not
just don’t understand about the reasons we are free.” The
only a radical concept—but a revolutionary one! Five free-
First Amendment gives us five freedoms—speech, press,
doms of expression. Protect one. Protect them all. Learn more
religion, petition and assembly. “We don’t dare take them
at www.1forall.today.
for granted.” Learn more at www.1forall.today.
Photo: Danny Clinch
Photo: Danny Clinch
Ruby Amanfu
Tennessee author Ruta Sepetys
MY FREE
SPEECH.
The photo credit is Kacie Lynn Wheeler. My freedom of the press allows me to write and publish
My freedom of speech allows me to lift my voice to add to
books about hidden history and those who were affected
the magnificent chorus of voices who have gone before me, singing of hope, courage, liberty and justice for all.
by it. I’m thankful for the First Amendment and its five
Learn more at www.1forall.today.
freedoms of expression—speech, press, religion, petition and assembly. Protect one. Protect them all. Learn more at 1forall.today.
Photo: Anna Haas
year of existence, the MTSU center has partnered with more than 40 universities across the country. The Free Speech Center launched with a national “1 for All” campaign (piloted in Tennessee) that features prominent Americans talking about how the First Amendment is pivotal to their personal and professional lives. Such a campaign is particularly relevant at a time when America also is grappling with rising tensions following the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, which has resulted in ongoing nationwide protests. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen the First Amendment in action. Citizens using their freedom of speech, right to assemble, freedom of the press, the right to petition, and freedom of faith have changed America for the better,” Paulson said. “In a polarized society, we see people yelling at each other and mistaking that for the free exchange of ideas.
The real power of free speech comes when we speak our minds but also demonstrate a willingness to listen to the views of others. The 1 for All campaign encourages civility, trust, and mutual understanding.
Associated Press is also a very active supporter. Musical celebrities who have recently lent their support include Kane Brown, Darius Rucker, Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley, and Michael W. Smith.
"When unthinking people let phrases like ‘fake news’ roll off their tongues, they fail to consider what ‘no news’ would look like.” “A lack of understanding is dangerous,” Paulson added. “If we don’t know that these five freedoms were demanded by the American people at the birth of the nation and that they are inextricably linked, then it’s easy for people in power to denigrate or threaten a free press or ‘fringe’ religions. And if one freedom falls, they all will.” The Tennessean, Tennessee Press Association, and Tennessee Association of Broadcasters are among the center's founding partners, along with Gannett/USA Today. The
In addition to his role as Free Speech Center director, Paulson is teaching classes as a professor at MTSU. He has found that many younger Americans are torn between protecting freedom of speech and ensuring that people aren’t offended by what they hear. Indeed, the Free Speech Center's mission is to instill in young Americans an unprecedented understanding and respect for the First Amendment through education, information, and engagement. Paulson sums it up in a few words: “There's work to be done.” MTSU Summer 2020 49
MTSU NEWS
MTSUNEWS.COM
Prestigious Award Junior Jared Frazier of Spring Hill was among just a few hundred college students nationally selected to receive a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, named after the late former U.S. senator. It is among the highest awards undergraduates majoring in science can receive. Frazier, double-majoring in Chemistry and Computer Science, could receive up to $7,500 per year to conduct research for two years. mtsunews.com/frazier-earnsgoldwater-scholarship-2020
TRUE BLUE NEWS ANY TIME Stay up to date all year round
Program Founder Dies
New Degrees Added
MTSU Photography Professor Emeritus Harold L. Baldwin, who guided and encouraged the vision of thousands of students and who assembled a million-dollar-plus photographic collection for the University during a 32-year college teaching career, died March 19 at age 93. Baldwin’s permanent campus collection includes works by artists including Ansel Adams.
MTSU’s Board of Trustees approved two new undergraduate degree programs for the coming academic year. Trustees elevated MTSU’s existing concentration in Horse Science within its Animal Science program to a freestanding Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Horse Science. Members also approved a new Bachelor of Arts in Music degree, which will be in addition to MTSU’s existing Bachelor of Music offering.
mtsunews.com/baldwin-obituarymarch20
mtsunews.com/board-of-trusteesmarch2020-recap
Bikes for the Homeless
National Runner-Up
Music U.
An MTSU School of Agriculture mechanics class project, led by Assistant Professor Chaney Mosley, benefited Murfreesboro’s Greenhouse Ministries and, in turn, homeless people. The class used grant money to repair and donate four bicycles to the local nonprofit to assist homeless individuals with transportation to help them land jobs.
The Blue Raider Debate Team finished second in the nation as a squad in the International Public Debate Association (IPDA), which had almost 100 schools participating in the 2019–20 tournament season. Sophomore Anastasia Ortiz was the No. 2 speaker in the country in IPDA competition. Ortiz and her debate partner, sophomore Graham Christophel, also were the No. 2 team in the U.S.
MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry landed on Billboard’s annual list of America’s top music business schools for a seventh year in 2020, recognized again for its longevity and its reputation for producing ready-to-work music industry professionals. Now in its 46th academic year, the department boasts more than 1,200 students.
mtsunews.com/ag-students-repairdonate-bikes-for-homeless
mtsunews.com/debate-team-secondnationally-2020
50 MTSU Magazine
mtsunews.com/billboard-musicschools-spr20
CL ASS NOTES
1960s
Dr. Elliott Tenpenny
Hal Hardin (’66), Nashville, was presented with the William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award by the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Fellows.
Tenpenny (’05) was on the front line of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. Tenpenny, director of international health with Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, led a 72-member team that opened an emergency field hospital in Central Park on March 31. The 68-bed facility had 10 ICU beds. Tenpenny, a Murfreesboro native, is a former medical missionary in the Congo.
1970s Jo Ann Campbell Jeffries (’70), Naalehu, Hawaii, published Puanani and the Volcano, a book about the Kilauea eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii and how it affected an elementary school girl. Joey Jacobs (‘75), was named chief executive officer of Quorum Health Corp., a Brentwood, Tennessee–based hospital operator. Jacobs is a member of MTSU’s Board of Trustees. Rex Gaither (’76), Smyrna, and Todd Spearman (‘02), Murfreesboro, were named the first assistant town managers of Smyrna.
1980s Warren Denny (’80), Nashville, was promoted to vice president of creative services for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Karen Gerson Duncan (’81), Tyrone, Georgia, published MyrtleKay Has Something to Say, a children’s book dealing with the topic of bullying.
Jessi Alexander Singer-songwriter Jessi Alexander (’03) is the writer of numerous chart-topping hits on country radio, including four No. 1 songs. One of those songs, “I Drive Your Truck,” recorded by Lee Brice, won Song of the Year in the 2013 Country Music Association Awards, 2014 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 2013 Nashville Songwriters Association International Awards. Alexander’s career skyrocketed with her song “The Climb,” which Miley Cyrus recorded for her box office hit Hannah Montana: The Movie. Earlier this year, Alexander released her third studio album, Decatur County Red.
Meredith Gordon Meredith Gordon (’87) is a professional clown. A founding member of Humorology Atlanta, he has worked as a hospital clown at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for the past 20 years. In 2019, he went with Clowns Without Borders USA on a hurricane relief tour in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian. Gordon was one of only 10 artists nationwide chosen for the 2019 Tanne Foundation Awards, recognizing outstanding achievement in art, and the first to receive the honor as a clown. Summer 2020 51
CL ASS NOTES
Dan and Dawn Wilson In June 2014, at the Celebrates Festival in Englewood, with a box of 25 “Born & Raised” T-shirts that Dan Wilson (’06) had designed, The DW Designs apparel line was born. By October 2014, Dan and his wife, Dawn (’06), had their first wholesale account. For the next couple of years, the True Blue couple continued working day jobs while primarily selling their T-shirts online and through what would become 40 wholesale accounts (packaging orders out of their home at night after their young children went to bed). In August 2016, Dan was able to leave his day job and begin working for the brand full time. Dawn left her day job and joined DW full time in April 2017 when the couple opened their first brick-and-mortar store in Farragut. In March 2019, DW added a new store in the Bearden area of Knoxville. The DW Designs creates T-shirt designs that showcase state pride and a love for Tennessee.
G. Akard (’84), Blountville, retired after 31 years with Sullivan County school system, including six as an assistant principal. Susan Slea Freeman (’84), Madison, joined Minneapolis-based St. Croix Hospice in the newly created role of chief operating officer. Freeman has spent more than 33 years in the post-care arena, including hospice. Randall Hutto (’84), Lebanon, was inducted into the Lebanon High School Sports Hall of Fame. Hutto, who is currently the mayor of Lebanon, spent 18 years at the school as a teacher and coach. Cynthia Shrader Hill (’87), Flintville, has published Web of Terror: A Short Story Collection, in collaboration with psychic Mark E. Fults, offering fictional accounts of eerie events and supernatural happenings.
52 MTSU Magazine
Pat Warner (’87), Murfreesboro, joined DVL Seigenthaler as vice president. Previously, he was the director of public relations and external affairs for Waffle House Inc. Armondo Ramos (’88), Tucson, Arizona, founded Hip to be Hemp LLC, which markets a 100% biodegradable HVAC filter called HempGuard.
1990s Roy Gifford (’92), Villa Hills, Kentucky, joined Northern Kentucky University as assistant vice president of marketing and communications. In previous positions, Gifford led marketing and communications initiatives for such brands as Coca-Cola, Coors Light, and Jack Daniel’s. Todd Payne (’92), Decherd, received the 2019 VFW Citizenship and Patriotism in the
Classroom award for the state of Tennessee (grades 9–12). This award is bestowed upon a teacher for generating patriotism and good citizenship values in their classroom. Payne is a U.S. history teacher at Franklin County High School. Monique Umphrey (’92, ’96), Houston, was named president of Houston Community College Northeast in Texas. Angelique “Angie” Davis (’93), Murfreesboro, was named executive director of Kymari House, which was founded in 2012 to provide supervised visitation, a safe environment, and a healthy connection for children separated from one or both of their parents due to safety risks within the home. Stephanie Linkous (’93), Cleveland, was appointed
as CEO of United Way of the Ocoee Region. She previously served as president and CEO of United Way of McMinn and Meigs Counties. Jeff Roberts (’93), Brentwood, founder of Jeff Roberts & Associates, PLLC, accepted a position as an adjunct professor at Volunteer State Community College, teaching students who are interested in a future career in law. Al Gaines (’95), Nashville, joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as senior director of information and technology. Connie Foster (’96), Woodbury, was named principal of the year by the Cannon County School District. Foster is principal of East Side School. Brent Secrest (’96), Houston, was elected executive vice president and chief commercial
Michael McDonald McDonald (’79), MTSU’s first black student government president, spent Spring 2020 enrolled in the Leadership Credentials Program, a new initiative being offered by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The program is designed to enhance the skills, talents, and expertise of incumbent community leaders in both the public and private sectors. The Rev. Dr. Mc Donald also holds a Master of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University, a J.D. from the University of Illinois John Marshall School of Law, a Public Administration Program degree from the University of Tennessee Center for Government, and a Deacon Ordination Program degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Divinity.
officer for Enterprise Products Partners LP in Texas. John Liehr (‘98), Arrington, was promoted to administrative captain for the Smyrna Police Department. He joined the department in 1994 as a patrol officer. Tara Scott Stone (’98), Murfreesboro, was named executive director with the Heart of Tennessee Chapter of American Red Cross in Murfreesboro. She previously served as business operations specialist for the chapter. Travis Lytle Sr. (’99), Chattanooga, was appointed as director of community development and community reinvestment act officer for SmartBank. Martin Murray (’99), Warren, Michigan, joined Mahindra Electric as chief technology officer after 30 years with General Motors.
2000s Ericka Downing (’00), Murfreesboro, is the new executive director of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center. She
has more than 20 years of experience supporting middle Tennessee judicial systems. Heather Lewis Kent (’00), Lascassas, was promoted to vice president, director of marketing, for Guaranty Home Mortgage Corp. Heather Knox (’00, ’11), Lascassas, a former fifth-grade mathematics teacher at Northfield Elementary who now serves as a Murfreesboro City Schools gifted specialist, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest honor for K–12 mathematics and science teachers. The awards program is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Michelle Travis (’00, ’04), Hendersonville, was appointed as executive director of SkillsUSA, a leading career and technical student organization in America.
Neil Vance (’01), Hendersonville, joined Collective Artist Management as a manager. He brings with him rising country star and BMLG/Valory Music Co. recording artist Tyler Rich. Cindy Watts (’02), Murfreesboro, a longtime Tennessean country music/celebrities reporter, is now manager of corporate communications for the AMG, an artist management company. Watts will serve as community liaison for the AMG in addition to handling corporate communications and providing in-house media support for all AMG artists. Clients include Brad Paisley and MTSU alum Chris Young. Michael Novak (’03, ’06), Murfreesboro, received his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Policy Analysis with a focus in higher education from East Tennessee State University. He served as director of the Confucius Institute at MTSU.
Natosha Haskins Benning (’04), Las Vegas, joined the Art Department of the University of Nevada–Las Vegas a part-time Graphic Design instructor. Gernell Jenkins (’04), Murfreesboro, was promoted to superintendent at Patterson Park Community Center. Matthew Patterson (’05), Spring Hill, received a promotion to credit officer at First Farmers and Merchants Bank. Neely Tabor (’05), Nashville, is the group creative director at GS&F, responsible for all creative operations, staff supervision, and work production. Jessica Yelverton Novak (’06, ’16), Murfreesboro, received her Doctor of Education in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University. She is employed by Murfreesboro City Schools as an English as a second language educator.
Summer 2020 53
CL ASS NOTES
Andrew Osantowske (’07), Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is director of operations for Robotic Skies Inc., the global maintenance network for commercial unmanned aircraft systems. John Stigall (’07) and Sheila P. Umayam (’07, ’08), college sweethearts at MTSU, recently relocated to Baltimore, where Stigall
is a philosophy lecturer at Morgan State University and Umayam is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Kennedy Krieger Institute.
a principal at Dowdle Construction, where he has worked for nine years managing and estimating projects.
Scarlet Lanning Murphy (’08,’14) and Jeff Murphy (’12,’13), Murfreesboro, opened Domenico’s Italian Deli on Murfreesboro’s historic downtown square.
Jessica Harrie (’09), Columbus, Ohio, now serves as executive director of operations for the International Clarinet Association. She is also associate editor of The Clarinet Journal. A freelance clarinetist and
Allen Buchanan (’09), Franklin, was named
Shannan Hatch Global management, production, and business development company Fourward’s new publishing venture, Fourward Music, with offices in both Nashville and Los Angeles, tapped Hatch (’98) to serve as its new president. Hatch’s focus is to sign the most talented songwriters across all genres. Hatch spent 17 years at performing rights organization SESAC, most recently serving as vice president of creative services. Hatch also serves on the Southern Region’s Board of Governors for the T.J. Martell Foundation and as a director at large for the Academy of Country Music.
L.B. Rogers Rogers (’18) is project manager at MusicRow magazine, where in addition to other duties she manages the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart and contributes editorial for both the print and online platforms. Rogers joined MusicRow full time in January 2019, after interning and working part time for the company for a year.
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teacher, Harrie served on the Artistic Leadership Team for ClarinetFest 2019.
2010s Zachary Barnes (’10, ’18), Clarksville, is assistant professor of Special Education in the Teaching and Learning Department at Austin Peay State University. Zane Martin (’10), Franklin, joined ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares Inc., as vice president, commercial banking/ private banking relationship manager, at the Nashville location. Matt McMurtrey (’10), Orlando, Florida, was promoted to senior associate at Lowndes, a multi-practice business law firm advising public and private businesses across multiple industries. Justyne McCoy Noble (’10), Franklin, published the first book of “The Feel Good Goats” series called Billy Gets His Beard. Noble and her husband, Dustin, run Nobles Springs Dairy, featuring a variety of goat milk products and also hosting special events such as farm tours, goat cuddling, goat yoga, and cheese tastings. Esther Freeman (’11), Kansas City, Missouri, joined Gresham Smith as a market analyst in the firm’s corporate and urban design studio.
Lane Mathews Mathews (’19) enjoyed working with Hear Technologies’ personal monitor mixing systems while he earned his B.S. in Audio Production at MTSU. Now he’s working with the team that designs them. Mathews first applied for an install technician position at Quantum Technologies Inc., the parent company of Hear Technologies. Shortly after, Hear Technologies contacted Mathews to offer him the position of technician in the pro audio group, based on his enthusiastic cover letter explaining his experience working with the Hear Back PRO system at MTSU.
Andrew Fishback (’12), Tullahoma, was promoted to assistant vice president of compliance with Guaranty Home Mortgage Corp. Derek Pedigo (’12), Hendersonville, joined FirstBank as a relationship manager at the Goodlettsville financial center. Taylor Fox (’13), Memphis, was promoted to internal audit manager for Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC. Amber Jackson (’13), Providence, Rhode Island, opened The Black Leaf Tea and Culture Shop, where she shares her love
of loose-leaf teas while engaging the community and celebrating black history. Lauren Nelson (’13), Nolensville, was selected to lead marketing and communications for Ascension Saint Thomas. Nelson, who joined Saint Thomas as an intern in 2010 while attending MTSU, has been a marketing leader at Saint Thomas since 2015. Annie Gibson Cotter (’14), Murfreesboro, is now business development manager for Choice Media & Communications. She formerly was director of strategic engagement and stewardship for United Way
Drew Lane Lane (’93), an Aerospace graduate, has been employed with Duck River Electric Membership Corp. for 25 years. In September 2019, he was promoted to district manager for the Shelbyville and Lynchburg area.
of Rutherford and Cannon Counties. Bryan Gilley (’14), Hendersonville, is lead historic interpreter at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. Edward Johnson III (’14), Brookhaven, Georgia, works for Zoom Video Communications. Chris Davis (’15), Nashville, returned to WTVF-Channel 5 as a reporter. Iva Lowe (’17), Ardmore, was promoted to senior account assistant at Nashville-based music industry business management firm FBMM.
Lauren Lee (’18), Nashville, earned a promotion to the newly created position of director of AMEND Together operations and domestic violence educator of YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Sarah Powers (’19), Nashville, joined BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville as an executive assistant. violence educator of YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
Email alumni@mtsu.edu to share your story.
Summer 2020 55
BABY R AIDERS
01 Grant Thomas Ferguson born August 29, 2017
01
02
to Brad (’10) and Heather Ferguson (’08, ’09) of Columbia, Missouri
02 Paxton Taylor Fox born Sept. 4, 2018
to Taylor (’13) and Sarah Fox (’13) of Memphis
03 Charles Chenyu Lian born Dec. 2, 2018
03
04
to Xiang Lian and Yuanyuan “Catherine” Chen (’09, ’12) of Akron, Ohio
04 Cooper James Green born March 14, 2019
to Russell (’07) and Chasity Green (’07) of Winchester
05 Jameson Ellis Harvey born May 28, 2019
05
06
to Kyle (’10) and Katherine Ellis Harvey (’11) of Murfreesboro
06 Sariah Dawsyn Sawyers born May 31, 2019
to Nicholas (’03) and Shameka Sawyers of Lewisburg
07 Harper Marie Borgman born Aug. 10, 2019
07
08
to John (’13) and Sarah Overby Borgman (’15) of Murfreesboro
08 Thomas Mark Harvey born Aug. 26, 2019
to Steven “Kell” (’08) and Laurie Lynn Harvey (’08) of Chattanooga
09 Leo John Sherlock born Sept. 13, 2019
09
10
to Coby Lee Sherlock ('13) and Jane Isabel Villafuerte of Las Vegas
10 Bennett Grace Madrid born Oct. 27, 2019
to Matthew and Nancy Davenport Madrid (’15) of Murfreesboro
11 Kendall Christine Cline born Nov. 6, 2019
11
12
to Kyler ('13) and Stephanie Cline ('13) of Murfreesboro
12 Jack Brent Henley born Jan. 23, 2020
to Matt and Megan Fuller Henley (’11) of Murfreesboro
13 Lenox Noel Seagroatt born March 25, 2020
13 56 MTSU Magazine
14
to Brett and Mia Leon Seagroatt ('10) of Hendersonville
14 Joseph “Baker” Poe born April 5, 2020
to Joe (’11) and Nichole Poe (’11, ’19) of Murfreesboro
IN MEMORIAM
1930s Alice Carter Hambrick (’37)
1940s Noel Davis (’49) James Fuqua Sr. (’49) Lila Graus (’43) Elizabeth Jackson (’49, ’73) Imogene Ross (’43) Sara Vosburgh (’43)
1950s William “Bill” Abernathy (’59) Roscie Hale Alexander (’51, ’52) Carl Barnes (’57, ’59) John Cassetty (’58) Elam A. Collins (’50) James Cranford (’55, ’59) Robert Curlee (’51) Ann Abbay Eaden (’59) Glen Eakle (’56) Mary Gamble (’58) Gay Jennings Goodin (’54) Robert Gracy (’54) Mattie Luton Frost (’55) Dolores Townsend Hardin (’59) Janet Hooper Herrod (’53) Thomas Hogshead (’55) Robert Holt (’57, ’60) Joyce Bland Lokey (’50) Hubert McCullough Jr. (’51) Joyce Calfee Miller (’53) Ramon Nellessen (’58) Ona Renninger (’57, ’74) Judy Smith Smith (’59) Jane Vandercook (’58) Kirk Waite (’58) Jere Warner (’51, ’53) Lillie Dale Willard (’56)
1960s Richard Austell Sr. (’66) Angelyn Stewart Bilbrey (’63) Margaret Smith Brandon (’61)
Tommy Clardy (’64) Nancy Johnson Coates (’63) Jane Brandon Curtis (’67, ’72) Geraldine Dement (’66, ’74) Samuel Graham (’60) Janet Daniel Greever (’65) Robert Harriman (’66) Helen Henkel (’64) Mark Jernigan (‘61) Gene Johnson (’61) Sue Steagall Jones (’60) Ray Lester (’66) Brady Luckett (’60, ’65) Waymon McCranie (’67) Linda Branum McGill (’63) Glen Moore (’67) Roy E. Mullins (’64) Betty Nichols (’67) Willie Odle (’61) Jerry Ray (’69) Joseph Renner (’66) James Rewis (’67) Minnie Moulder Russell (’64) Anthony Savage (’66) David Smiley (’67) James Smith (’66) Janice Starkey (’67, ’68) Loraine Davis Sutton (’68) B.L. Sturdivant (’62) William E. Trail ('66) William White (’69) David Yeaman (’66, ‘67) Fred Zapp Jr. (’61) George Zumbro (’60)
1970s Davis Adkisson (’76) John Alverez (’70) Lillian “Kattie” Baker (’74) Steven Barlar (’72) Donald Baskin (’72) Harry Bass (’78) Timothy Brock (’79) Zelda Pewitt Carson (’71, ’80) Rita Casazza (’76) Richard Cathey (’71)
Steve Cheatham (’73) Richard Cherry (’71) Patricia Clemens (’74, ’77) Mona Crabtree (’75) Ivan Duggin (’70,’86) Betty Evilcizer James (’72) Annie Roper-Frazier (’78) David Freeman (’78) Marleen Grisgby (’77, ’85) Ray Hicks Sr. (’78) Marcia Johnston (’71, ’75, ’80) Gary Keel (’76) Loisteen Kirkman (’70) Richard R. Lindsey (’72) D. Vance “Van” Martin (’70) Harold Martin Jr. (’76) Robert Mather (’73) Rex Medlin (’73) Hulett Miller Jr. (’73) James Miller (’74) Freda Jones Navel (’71) James Neely Jr. (’72, ’74) William H. Oglesby II (’72) Michael “Steve” Sanders (’71) Billy Scott (’71) Kenneth Shelton Jr. (’75) Kenneth Shular (’79) Timothy Stanfill (’71) Kenneth Stevens (’77) Edgar Hoover Thornton (’73) James Trigg (’71, ’76) James Walker Jr. (’72) Leonora Washington (’70, ’85) William Whitlatch Sr. (’70) Martha Woody (’76, ’81)
1980s Philip Autry (’89) Brenda Heath Barrett (’82) Patricia Kennedy Bivens ('89) Glenda Sullivan Burns (’82) Sarah Arbuckle Crabtree (’81) Melissa Higgs Dorminey (’89) Randall Fletcher (’86) Gregg Hawkins (’81) Sandra Kirk Jones (’84)
Tammie Key (’86) Kathleen Lapczynski (’89, ’93) John McCormack (’81) Michael Moore (’88) Percy “Lee” Orman (’85) Charles Pace (’85) Noreen Roark Queen (’83) Dennis Schmidt (’83)
1990s Todd Chapman (’97) Randall Combs (’92) Marie Kozich Gangaware (’92) Michael Gulley (’93) Matthew “Pete” Hayek (’97) Alan Stem, Jr. (’95) Martha Stroud (’98) Tracey McConnell Walker (’93)
2000s Frank Beckner Jr. (’04) Andrew Davis (’05) Jacob “Jake” Durham (’03) Andrew “Andy” Carl Davis (’05) Adriane Dearing (’09) Martha Hawkins (’05) Justin Mason (’01) Travis Medlin (’06) Sara Read (’11) Patrick Steading (’05) Ashok Tulsiani (’08)
2010s Danielle Hill (’13) Ginna Foster Cannon (’17) Timothy Castello Jr. (’15) Shawnton S. Clay (’13) Mary Evelyn Harrison (’12) Nathan Hill (’12) Cynthia Loveless (’19) Gary Mitchell (’14) Don Owen (’19) David Richardson (’11) Kendall Washington (’14) Carrie Wittekind (’10) Summer 2020 57
IN MEMORIAM
Linda Gilbert Gilbert (’72, ’79, ’91), honored with an MTSU Alumni Association 2014–15 Distinguished Alumni award and who served many years as a Murfreesboro City Schools administrator, most recently as director of schools, died of a stroke May 20. She was 69. Her leadership and knowledge benefited the city schools and MTSU. She co-authored grants for MTeach, an MTSU program designed to increase the quantity and quality of math and science teachers in Tennessee and the U.S., and facilitated dual enrollment between MTSU and Rutherford County Schools. Gilbert also had membership on or chaired many advisory boards and committees, from the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences advisory board to the Band of Blue Executive Board. A band and music teacher early in her career for Black Fox Elementary School, she won Tennessee teacher of the year recognition and was named 2019 Tennessee superintendent of the year.
George Zimmerman George Zimmerman (’90), was a baseball standout and longtime MTSU employee. A pitcher and first baseman, he was the OVC Player of the Year in 1987 and was later awarded MTSU's Male Student-Athlete of the Year. After receiving his B.S. in Criminal Justice, Zimmermann began working for his alma mater, which he served loyally as an employee of Sodexo, MTSU Sports and Leisure for 25 years.
Steve Peterson Long-time MTSU baseball coach Steve Peterson ('76), known as "Coach Pete," retired following the 2012 season as the Blue Raiders' all-time winningest coach with a record of 791-637-3 during his 25 years at the helm. During his tenure at MTSU, Peterson accumulated 16 seasons with 30 or more wins. He also had four seasons with 40 or more wins, including the 2009 season where the Blue Raiders set a new program record with 44 wins. The Blue Raiders won 11 conference regular-season championships and nine conference tournament titles, plus made nine NCAA Regional appearances with Peterson at the helm.
58 MTSU Magazine
We can’t touch a lot of things these days but we can touch the lives of students at MTSU!
Touch the life of an MTSU student through your gift to any of these emergency funds: Please make a gift to support students in need today: • Give online at mtsu.edu/studenthelp • Mail your gift to MTSU Foundation, MTSU Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132 • Text MTHelp to 41444 • Include MTSU in your will or estate plans so you can help future MTSU students
• Student Emergency Fund—provides grants for students who encounter a verifiable financial emergency • Student Food Pantry—assists an increasing number of hungry college students who have food insecurity or need personal care items • Safety Net Fund—supports our students who have unstable housing or are homeless • Student Health Services—supporting health and wellness for all students
For questions or more info, contact: Pat Branam, director of development, 615-904-8409 or pat.branam@mtsu.edu
• MTSU Scholarship—to help the most financially needy students whose families have been greatly impacted during this crisis
Nonprofit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Murfreesboro, TN Permit No. 169
1301 E. Main Street Murfreesboro, TN 37132
