JUNE

MTSU Mourns Freeman

MTSU Board of Trustees member Darrell Freeman Sr. passed away June 28.

Trustee Freeman, who held two MTSU degrees, will be remembered for his passion and advocacy for creating opportunities for others, as well as his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit.

He was one of MTSU’s brightest stars, and his light shined through his many accomplishments: a first-generation college graduate; a trail-blazing businessman who created his own IT company, Zycron, that, over 25 years, became a multimillion-dollar business that he sold, then used those resources to help aspiring Black entrepreneurs overcome obstacles and find success in business; a private pilot, who lent his services and aircraft for international relief missions; and so much more.

Trustee Freeman’s energy and devotion to help disadvantaged and underserved students find a path forward in education and business was front and center in his work as the first vice chair of MTSU’s Board of Trustees, as well as his two terms as chair of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

His service to his alma mater, as a role model, donor, volunteer, and leader, leaves a legacy that will inspire our students and our community for generations.

In Memoriam

Alumnus and Board of Trustees member Joey Jacobs died on Jan. 14, 2023. We will never forget the tremendous impact and accomplishments of Trustee Jacobs, a strong advocate and supporter of his alma mater and a mentor and role model to the students of our Jennings A. Jones College of Business.

Athletics Director Chris Massaro called Jacobs a cornerstone of our Build Blue Campaign and a key reason for its success.

Jacobs was honored in 2013 with MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award in recognition of his tenure as chairman and CEO of Psychiatric Solutions Inc. He also established the Joey A. Jacobs Chair of Excellence in Accountancy in the Jones College, which provides a national and international presence for MTSU in the field of accounting.

For decades, Jacobs was a leading figure in Nashville's globally recognized health care industry. After launching his career at HCA, he served as the architect behind $2 billion behavioral health companies. Jacobs was also part of the pivotal minority ownership group that kept the Nashville Predators professional hockey club in Music City.

Going Deeper

What can an associate professor of psychology contribute to a project about agriculture education in high schools? The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided Ying Jin with a $450,000 grant to find out.

Jin, along with Chaney Mosley, an assistant professor of Agricultural Education in the School of Agriculture, and Song Cui, an associate professor who specializes in digital agriculture, will use the federal stipend to develop a three-year institute to bring high school agriculture teachers together for professional development.

The teachers are steeping themselves in “deeper learning” instructional and assessment practices, which concentrate on developing students’ competencies, including critical thinking, complex problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills, and an academic mindset.

Some 500 K–12 schools nationwide have adopted this concept.

The teachers received their initial training the week of June 6 and continued designing a project over the summer to implement in their high school classrooms in the new academic year.

Taking Stock

MTSU’s stock horse team won the program’s first-ever Division 1 national championship at the American Stock Horse Association Collegiate and National Show in Sweetwater, Texas—defeating Texas Tech University to earn the national title. The team’s coach is Horse Science faculty member Andrea Rego.

Eight MTSU students competed in the ASHA event held in the Nolan County Coliseum, capturing eight individual national awards and the coveted national title.

That same month, MTSU riders earned the Division 2 Reserve Champion national title at the Hughes Ranch Traders National Intercollegiate Ranch and Stock Horse National Championship in Amarillo, Texas.

The Hughes Ranch Trailers-sponsored event featured 115 riders from 14 colleges and universities from seven states. MTSU carried six riders to this event, each competing for individual awards plus national champion and Reserve Champion team honors.