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The Right Mix
New Recording Industry Department Chair Michelle Conceison brings a strong mix of real-world experience and heart of a teacher to lead an innovative department celebrating a half-century of existence. Conceison is a business owner and artist manager who has had artists sell out world tours and chart top albums and radio singles. But she’s always been an educator at heart, coming from a family of educators. Her dad spent almost four decades teaching in public schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
mtsunews.com/new-recordingindustry-chair-michelle-conceison
Rural Education
The College of Education and its Center for Fairness, Justice, and Equity held a signing ceremony for three of 25 students in MTSU’s first group of Tennessee Teach Back Initiative Scholars, entering this fall. Launched with support of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), the initiative recruits high school and transfer students from within highneeds, rural areas and covers costs and provides extra supports in exchange for their returning to teach in their local communities.
mtsunews.com/education-collegeinducts-first-ttbi-students
Artistic Impact
The College of Liberal Arts contributions to the arts community have paid off, with a study detailing how the arts and culture sector generated a staggering $52.4 million in economic activity for Rutherford County in 2022–23. Aided by MTSU’s School of Music, Department of Theatre and Dance, and Center for Chinese Music and Culture, the Rutherford Arts Alliance collected data showing MTSU and community art events supported 915 jobs and yielded almost $9.5 million in tax revenue.
mtsunews.com/arts-culture-economicimpact-study-2024
State of Affairs
Khalilah T. Doss was appointed as vice president of student affairs, replacing Sarah Sudak, who held the job on an interim basis for the 2023–24 academic year. Doss, who started July 15, comes to MTSU from a similar role at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville and previous service at McPherson College in Kansas and Lincoln University of Missouri. The Division of Student Affairs provides essential programs and services which support the matriculation, academic achievement, personal development, and quality of life of all MTSU students.
mtsunews.com/board-of-trusteesrecap-june2024
Tops in Tennessee
MTSU’s Animation undergraduate program was ranked tops in Tennessee for 2024 by Animation Career Review, an online national and international ranking resource for animation schools. MTSU also rated No. 8 in the Top 25 Animation B.S. Degree Programs in the U.S., No. 9 in the Top 25 Animation Schools and Colleges in the South, and No. 22 for the Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the U.S. in categories comparing animation programs of 199 schools across the country.
mtsunews.com/animation-programacr-top-ranking-2024
Unparalleled Access
Nine MTSU undergraduate STEMbased researchers showcased their talents, met Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, and toured the halls of state government at the annual Posters at the Capitol event in the spring. The MTSU contingent joined students from other state universities to share their projects spanning from cancer treatment to local waterway pollution. Participating students were Eden Anderson, Tori Bascou, Rose Gutierrez, Cole Huddleston, Isaiah Kam, Audrey Lauerhass, Ariel Nicastro, Sydney Robbins, and Lindsey Tran.
