GOT JOBS FOR STUDENTS?

CAREER CENTER CAN HELP

Fall semester means students

looking for classes, parking places,

textbooks and on-campus jobs. If

your office has work for students

for the new semester, contact the

MTSU Career and Employment

Center to post those openings. Call

615-898-2500 for more information.

GEAR UP FOR FALL 2007 WITH

‘WEEK OF WELCOME’ EVENTS

MTSU's fall 2007 “Week of

Welcome” kicks off Aug. 24 and 25

with the annual We-Haul dorm

move-in sessions. See the Campus

Calendar on page 4 for the first

weekend’s events; watch The Recordfor the full Week of Welcome sched-

ule, or visit www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp/welcome.htm for more specifics.

He calls himself an“ordinary man,”but author and

activist Paul Rusesaba-gina’s extraordinaryaccomplishments willbring him to MTSUSunday, Aug. 26, tohelp mark the begin-ning of the 2007-08academic year at theUniversityConvocation.

Rusesabagina, anative of Rwanda,saved 1,268 of hiscountrymen duringa 100-day siege ofgenocidal mad-ness in 1994 thatleft nearly 1 mil-lion peopledead. The hotelmanager turnedthe luxurious

Hotel Milles Collines into arefuge for Tutsi and moder-

ate Hutus while fending offtheir would-be killers with acombination of diplomacyand deception.

The rest of the worldlearned more aboutRusesabagina in the 2004film “Hotel Rwanda,” whichwas nominated for threeAcademy Awards.

“For our students andour university community tohave the opportunity to hearMr. Rusesabagina, an ‘ordi-nary man’ with an extraordi-nary heart, at our annualConvocation is a blessingindeed,” MTSU PresidentSidney A. McPhee said of the2 p.m. event at MurphyCenter.

“This ceremony is anassemblage and a celebrationof who we are as a universityand what we can accomplishtogether, and I can think offew people who epitomizethat spirit of determination—of one person whose choicescan help change the world—than this good man. We look

forward to hearing andlearning from him, as well aseach other, in this new aca-demic year.”

The UniversityConvocation welcomes newstudents into the MTSUlearning community. Facultymarch in their regalia to dra-matic compositions per-formed by the MTSU Bandof Blue, and the traditionsand rituals of the universityare explained to the newestmembers of the MTSU fami-ly.

Rusesabagina’s autobiog-raphy, An Ordinary Man, isMTSU’s 2007 SummerReading Selection. TheSummer Reading Program,created in 2002, aims to pro-vide a unifying experiencefor entering freshmen, givethem the opportunity to readand interact with acclaimedauthors and affirm theimportance of reading for asuccessful and fulfilling life.

In the book, Rusesaba-gina tells the story of hischildhood, retraces his acci-dental path to heroism,

More than 80 new MTSU fac-ulty members will conveneMonday and Tuesday, Aug.

20 and 21, to become more familiarwith their new workplace via semi-nars and briefings on informationtechnology, student affairs and libraryservices.

Events are set to begin each day at8 a.m. in the Business and AerospaceBuilding and will include lunches pro-vided by SunTrust and MidSouthbanks. A full schedule is on page 5.

www.mtsunews.com

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MURFREESBORO TNPERMIT NO. 169

IN BRIEF

Inside this edition:Changing girls’ minds about math, page 3History comes alive in prof’s mural, page 6Home building program receives gift, page 7

See ‘Welcome’ page 5

AN EXTRAORDINARY SPEAKER

from Staff Reports

See ‘Speaker’ page 5

Building bridges,page 7

a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community Aug. 13, 2007 • Vol. 16/No. 4

Green stuffAlternative fuel projects

garner state funding

page 2

from Staff Reports This year, the MTSU Rutherford County AlumniChapter’s annual PigskinPregame is set for Saturday,

Aug. 25, to kick off the football sea-son, event organizers said.

The event will be held at thehome of Terry and Lisa Haynes, wholive at 1707 Riverview Drive inMurfreesboro, said Paul Wydra, anassistant director in the Office ofAlumni Relations.

“I think everyone last year had agreat time,” said Ginger Freeman,alumni relations director. “More than 300 people werethere last year, and we are hoping even more want toshare in this year’s festivities.”

Tickets for the event, which will run from 7 to 11

p.m., will be $25 if purchased by Wednesday, Aug. 22, or$30 at the door, Wydra said. He added that the ticketprice includes an exclusive preview of one ofMurfreesboro’s newest restaurants, Carrabba’s Italian

Grill, along with wine, beer, softdrinks, music, door prizes and more.Parking will be available.

Wydra said all proceeds fromPigskin Pregame would benefit theRutherford County Alumni ChapterScholarship Fund. The RutherfordCounty Alumni Fund awarded$17,000 in scholarships to incomingfreshman for the 2007-08 school year.

For more information about thisevent or to reserve tickets, please call 1-800-533-6878 orvisit www.mtalumni.com. Attendees also can mail pay-ments to the Alumni Relations Office at MTSU Box 104,Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132.

from Staff Reports

Pigskin Pregame aids scholarship fund

Convocation willfeature address by Rwandan author

Related story, page 8

Welcome tonew faculty!

page 2 The Record Aug. 13, 2007

MTSU is one of 14 applicants to receive Alternative Fuel InnovationsGrants totaling more than $881,000 statewide, Gov. Phil Bredesenand Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke

announced July 26.Dr. Cliff Ricketts, agribusiness and agriscience, will receive $79,700 to pur-

chase a Toyota Prius and convert it to a plug-in flex-fuel vehicle to operate onelectricity, solar power, hydrogen and ethanol.

MTSU already is a partner with TVA's Green Power Switch Program,which enabled the grant to be proposed, Ricketts said. The Prius will go shortdistances by adding the Plug-In Component that allows the car to run off elec-tric energy produced by the sun. The gasolineengine of the Prius will be converted to run onhydrogen, which will come from water separatedby a solar electrolysis unit already in place atMTSU.

The vehicle can be used in the MTSU motorpool after the research phase and can be used as ademonstration model for other universities, stateagencies and county school systems, Ricketts said.

Through Ricketts and the School ofAgribusiness and Agriscience, MTSU also has partnerships with BridgestoneTire, Tractor Supply Company, Valspar Paints and HyPower Fuel.

The university also will receive $97,621 to convert used cooking oil intobiodiesel under the auspices of the Center for Green Energy Management.

The project will allow evaluations of innovative chemical reaction methodsand development of a catalyst to lower production costs while meetingAmerican Society for Testing and Materials, or ASTM, specifications forbiodiesel.

“This grant program was designed to encourage local governments andpublic universities to assess opportunities to increase their use of biofuels andcreate projects to take advantage of those opportunities,” said Bredesen. “I’mpleased to see the variety and innovation represented by these projects as wecontinue to expand the use and production of alternative fuels in Tennessee.”

In 2006, Bredesen proposed $4 million in state funding, which wasapproved by the General Assembly, for Tennessee’s alternative fuels initiatives.

In February, Bredesen dedicated $1 million of these funds for Alternative FuelInnovations Grants to help local governments and public universities increasethe alternative fuel use in their fleets and measure the positive impact on stateair quality, particularly in areas not currently attaining federal air-quality stan-dards.

“The grant awards show both governments and universities are takingadvantage of this opportunity to improve air quality by increasing their use ofalternative fuels,” said Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan, who represents theDepartment of Environment and Conservation on the Governor’s AlternativeFuels Working Group. “Making cleaner burning fuels more readily available tofleets, while at the same time providing additional research experiences to uni-versities, is an important step in the right direction.”

Other Alternative Fuel Innovations Grant recipients include:• two Chattanooga city refueling stations,

which will buy and install a new ethanol fuel tankand pump to serve Chattanooga’s fleet of 157 flex-fuel vehicles and begin a similar operation toserve the Amnicola Highway Refueling Station;

• the City of Kingsport, which will convert thecity’s 200-plus diesel vehicles to biodiesel anddevelop educational materials for the public;

• the City of Oak Ridge, which will convertthe city’s 70-vehicle fleet to biodiesel;

• Cleveland State Community College, which will develop a BiodieselLearning Lab and buy equipment to convert food waste products to biodieselblends;

• East Tennessee State University, which will install an ethanol storagetank and dispensing system on campus to convert its 106 flex-fuel vehicles;

• the University of Memphis, which will build a biodiesel production unitto replace conventional diesel with biodiesel in campus vehicles;

• the University of Tennessee’s Agricultural Experiment Station, College ofEngineering, Facility Services and the university itself, to study ethanol pro-duction, demonstrate hydrogen generation/fueling, produce biodiesel fromused cooking oil, build a biodiesel production facility using feedstock andpump and store the biodiesel.

For more information about alternative fuels in Tennessee, visitwww.biotenn.org.

MTSU wins 2 alternative fuel grants from statefrom Staff Reports

Three insurance professionals,one of whom holds MTSU’sTommy T. Martin Chair of

Insurance, comprise the 2007 slate ofhonorees inducted into the Robert E.Musto Insurance Hall of Fame July31.

The banquet and ceremony wereheld at the Franklin Marriott at CoolSprings.

Inductee Dr. Kenneth W. Hollmancame to MTSU in 1982 from theUniversity of Mississippi. He teachesinsurance classes, serves as a mentorto aspiring insurance professionalsand is a resource person for theindustry.

Hollman is the first and soleholder of the Martin Chair, the firstendowed chair at MTSU. He has cre-ated and maintained one of the mostrespected university insurance pro-grams in the nation, awarding morethan 850 scholarships to 420 insur-ance students since 1983. Hollmanearned his bachelor’s degree in gener-al business at MTSU and received hismaster’s in business administrationand doctorate in economics from theUniversity of Alabama.

The late Edwin W. Craig, a gradu-ate of Vanderbilt University, joinedthe National Life & AccidentInsurance Company in Nashville andlater achieved an outstanding sales

record in Dallas, Texas. He laterreturned to Nashville by way ofAtlanta and played a role in the com-pany’s decision to enter broadcastingin 1925 with the establishment ofWSM Radio. Craig also was instru-mental in launching The Grand OleOpry. After becoming president ofNational Life, he helped direct thecompany through tremendousgrowth in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Mr.Craig died in 1969.

The late John Spann started in thebusiness in 1947 and made a name for

himself when he joined ProfessionalInsurance Agents of Tennessee in1951. He was twice honored as PIAAgent of the Year, serving as the orga-nization’s vice president and presi-dent. He served as a spokesman forthe PIA at legislative hearings andserved on both legislative study com-mittees and the governor’s taskforces. Spann was a gifted writer andspeaker, skills that thrust him intopolitical circles, where he submittedbills and amendments to theLegislature. Mr. Spann died in 1985.

In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son ofRobert E. Musto, presented a $10,000gift to MTSU’s Martin Chair ofInsurance in honor of his father,which provided the foundation forthe hall of fame. The late Mustoserved as vice president of the formerNational Life and Accident InsuranceCompany. The younger Musto isregional sales manager of the compa-ny his father helped build.

For more information about theMusto Insurance Hall of Fame, con-tact Hollman at 615-898-2673.

3 added toInsuranceHall of Fame by Tom Tozer

DESERVING OF HONOR—The 2007 inductees into the Robert E. Musto Insurance Hall of Fame—from left, Gerald Smith and JohnA. “Jack” Spann III (accepting for posthumous inductees Edwin W. Craig and John Spann) and Dr. Kenneth W. Hollman—join JohnMajor, chair of the selection committee, for a photo after the ceremony.

photo submitted/Ken Robinson Photography

In the early 1990s, Teen Talk Barbie said the phrase,“Math is hard. Let’s go shopping.” Wikipedia claims oneof the four pre-programmed phrases the toy said was,

“Math class is tough.”Either way, the organizers behind this fall’s 11th annual

Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science programwant girls in fifth through eighth grades to know that mathand science can be challenging and interesting, as well asfun.

“My daughter Emma’s summer science camp was ahighlight of her summer,” Dr. Rebecca Zijlstra, a professorin mathematical sciences, said. “Still she couldn’t helpnoticing on her first day that ‘it was all boys!’

“One of the camp activities was to take apart discardedappliances and reassemble them into a new and usefulinvention. The boys made things like stun-gun deflectorsand robots. The girls made ‘mega-mops’ and lip-gloss dis-pensers.

“It made me question the progress we have madesince Barbie’s infamous quote ‘Math is hard. Let’s go shop-ping.’ EYH conferences let young women know that socie-ty values their mind power and creativity and that weneed their contributions in the STEM (science, technology,engineering and math) fields.”

MTSU students can use experiential learning conceptsto motivate the middle-school girls about math and sci-ence during the Oct. 27 EYH, which will be held at vari-ous sites around campus.

Laura Clippard, a Student Support Services counselor, drafted an experi-ential learning plan where MTSU students can earn one hour of service-learning credit by becoming an EYH group leader.

Up to 40 students can register until Sept. 6 for EXL 2010 or 3010, saidClippard, the course instructor.

“Students can get hands-on experience and learn about the researchexplaining why girls drop out of math and science,” Clippard said.

Clippard and colleague Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, the EYH director andMTSU chemistry professor, said up-to-date statistics indicate low numbers ofwomen in these career fields.

Clippard said women account for 11 percent of engineers and 20 percentof scientists, according to figures released by the foundation named for for-mer astronaut Sally Ride. Iriarte-Gross said more women than men earn biol-

ogy degrees, but women don’t enter biology career fields as often as men.“The research says girls are taught differently and boys are encouraged

(to pursue math and science),” Clippard said. “We want to give (EXL) stu-dents a chance to be role models. This is something they can put on theirresumés.”

“This course provides an opportunity for college students to assist in theplanning for a large-scale service learning project and to be present at theevent to see the impact the program has on the way girls think about mathand science,” said Dr. Jill Austin, management and marketing chair and EXLdirector. “This is a great example of the type of experiential learning experi-ences that are part of the EXL Scholars Program.”

Visit the class Web site (www.mtsu.edu/~lclippar) for more information.

The Record Aug. 13, 2007 page 3

EXL students can help EYH girls agree: ‘math is fun!’by Randy Weiler

MEETING THE CHALLENGE—Chemistry professor Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, left, and Student Support

Services counselor Laura Clippard team up with a few plastic pals to show girls that math and science are

fun, as well as a challenge, in the upcoming Exploring Your Horizons conference. Not pictured is fellowEYH organizer Dr. Rebecca Zijlstra, mathematical sciences.photo by News and Public Affairs

The Keathley University Center will beopen later this fall semester, increasingits hours effective Friday, Aug. 24, to

better accommodate the MTSU community.“We hope that this will allow for more

events for student groups and departmentsalike,” said Jennifer Kirk, assistant director ofstudent unions and programming.

The KUC’s new hours will be Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday andSaturday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; and 4-11 p.m.Sundays.

The James Union Building will resume itsregular operating hours of 7 a.m.-8 p.m.weekdays beginning Monday, Aug. 27, whenthe fall semester begins.

“For the summer and holiday seasons, theKUC and JUB close earlier due to lack of

activity,” Kirk explained.There is a $10-per-hour charge for depart-

ments and organizations to use facilitiesbefore and after normal operating hours inthe KUC and JUB. If the activity starts duringregular hours and continues after the buildingcloses, then the charge is the basic $10 perhour for a building manager to remain avail-able. If the activity begins before or after regu-lar operating hours, there is a $40 minimumcharge plus $10 per hour after the first fourhours.

Kirk said that requests for KUC or JUBfacility usage should be made at least sevenbusiness days before the event to schedule abuilding manager for convenience and safety.

For more information, please visit theStudent Unions Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~mtunions or contact Kirk at 615-898-2590.

KUC extends hours this fallfrom Staff Reports

An MTSU Enrollment Services official said the uni-versity’s Information Technology Division electron-ically submitted a headcount of 8,845 students

attending summer classes on Monday, Aug. 6, to theTennessee Board of Regents.

Dr. Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost forenrollment services, said the submitted total is a 2.7 percentdecrease from the summer of 2006, when 9,080 studentswere enrolled. She added that it was a decrease of 251 stu-dents.

This marks the second straight year that summerenrollment has fallen, Huddleston said.

“Historically, summer enrollment increases one yearand decreases the next,” she said, adding that the 2006enrollment total was 16 less than 2005, when 9,096 studentswere in attendance.

On a positive note, the 97 first-time freshmen attendingsummer classes is 22 more than the 75 who attended in ’06.

“Some students want to go ahead and begin takingclasses to get started on their academic career,” Huddlestonsaid.

Also, there is an increase in re-enrollees, with 641attending this summer compared to 639 students whoattended a year ago.

One significant decrease noted by Huddleston andother administrators is the 173 new transfers attending thissummer. That’s 59 fewer than the 229 transfers who attend-ed in ’06.

Another decrease, added Huddleston, is in the area ofreturning students. There are 7,256 returning students thissummer—173 fewer than 2006 when that total was 7,429.

Summer enrollment dipsagain, slightly, for 2nd yearby Randy Weiler

Tornado siren test dates for the next 12months have been released by MTSU’sDepartment of Campus Safety and

Chief Buddy Peaster.The tornado siren will be tested on the

second Tuesday or second Wednesday ofalternate months to ensure that the system isworking properly and that the warnings canbe heard campuswide. Tuesday tests willoccur at 12:20 p.m., while the Wednesdaywarnings will be heard at 11:15 a.m.

Test dates and times are as follows:• Tuesday, Aug. 14, 12:20 p.m.

• Wednesday, Sept. 12, 11:15 a.m.• Tuesday, Oct. 9, 12:20 p.m.• Wednesday, Nov. 14, 11:15 a.m.• Tuesday, Dec. 11, 12:20 p.m.• Wednesday, Jan. 9, 11:15 a.m.• Tuesday, Feb. 12, 12:20 p.m.• Wednesday, March 12, 11:15 a.m.• Tuesday, April 8, 12:20 p.m.• Wednesday, May 14, 11:15 a.m.• Tuesday, June 10, 12:20 p.m.• Wednesday, July 9, 11:15 a.m.For more information, please contact

Campus Safety at 615-898-2424.

Tornado siren tests planned

“Middle Tennessee Record”

Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday—5 p.m.Visit www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MTR.html for airtimes on 12 other cable outlets.

Order August 2007

Commencement DVDs

$10 each, plus $6.95 shipping,handling and state sales taxFor information, visitwww.mtsu.edu/~phillips/dvd.htmor contact: 615-898-2700.

Tuesday, Aug. 14

Tornado Siren Test Date

12:20 p.m., campuswideFor information, contact: 615-898-2424.

Sunday, Aug. 19

“MTSU On the Record—

‘The Sheriff’s Murder Cases’”

Guest: Dr. Jack “Justin” Turner(encore broadcast)7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FMPodcast available atwww.mtsunews.comor free subscription at iTunes.

Aug. 20-21

New Faculty Orientation

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., BAS N217,other BAS South locationsFor information, contact: 615-898-5941.

Thursday, Aug. 23

Blue Raider Blast:

Murfreesboro

5:30-7:30 p.m., Public SquareFree and open to the public;barbecue, $5 per plateFor information, contact: 615-898-2210.

Aug. 24-25

WEEK OF WELCOME

We-Haul Dorm Move-in

All day, freshman hallsFor information, contact: 615-898-2454.

Friday, Aug. 24

Annual Fall Faculty Meeting

9:30-11:30 a.m., Tucker TheatreFor information, contact: 615-898-5941.

AROTC Stand-to Swearing-in

Ceremony for New Freshmen

9:30 a.m., Forrest HallFor information, contact: 615-898-2470.

Friday, Aug. 24

Annual Faculty Luncheon

Noon, James Union BuildingFor information, contact: 615-898-5941.

WEEK OF WELCOME

Dinner and Music at the Quad

6 p.m., Floyd the Barber Band;8 p.m., “Ferris Bueller’s DayOff” outdoor movieFor information, contact: 615-898-2454.

Saturday, Aug. 25

WEEK OF WELCOME

Information Booths, Dinner

and Street Fair

10 a.m.-6 p.m., informationbooths;6 p.m., dinner and street fairbehind Corlew HallFor information, contact: 615-898-2454.

Women’s Soccer vs. UAB

exhibition game7 p.m., Blue Raider FieldFor information, contact: 615-898-2450.

Pigskin Pregame

7-11 p.m., 1707 Riverview Drive(home of Terry and LindaHaynes)Tickets: $22 each by Aug. 22;$30 at the door (includesdinner and drinks)

Proceeds benefit RutherfordCounty Alumni ChapterScholarship FundFor information, visitwww.mtalumni.comor contact: 615-898-2922.

Sunday, Aug. 26

"MTSU On the Record—

MIMIC"

Guests: Drs. Andrienne Friedliand Marion Wells (encore broadcast)7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FMPodcast available atwww.mtsunews.comor free subscription at iTunes.

WEEK OF WELCOME

University Convocation

speaker: Paul Rusesabagina2 p.m., Murphy CenterFree and open to the publicFor information, contact: 615-898-2454.

WEEK OF WELCOME

President's Picnic

immediately followingConvocation, Walnut GroveFor information, contact: 615-898-2454.

Campus CalendarAug. 13-26

TV Schedule

page 4 The Record Aug. 13, 2007

Taking aim at forensic science

TUNE IN TODAY—Dr. Hugh Berrymandraws a bead on a rack of pork ribs in thename of forensic science in the Augustedition of “Middle Tennessee Record,”MTSU’s monthly video magazine.Viewers can learn why and also watch asthe Mass Communication building getsan upgrade to HDTV, local videogamershave fun—and take precautions—withthe new Nintendo Wii gaming system,grad student Alicja Kutyla gets a presti-gious fellowship from the SmithsonianInstitution, Sarong Vit-Kory reads heraward-winning essay about an emotionaltrip to Cambodia, Campus Safety ChiefBuddy Peaster talks about lessonslearned from the recent tornado drill andthe Southern Girls Rock and Roll Campcelebrates its fifth year. Watch it week-days at 5 p.m. on local Cable Channel 9,or visit www.mtsunews.com anytime towatch the August show on YouTube.

photo by News and Public Affairs

Aug. 14

Aug. 25

Aug. 26

Through Sept. 14

Aug. 20

Aug. 23

Aug. 19

Aug. 24

New faculty members also have aWeb site devoted to information thatcan help them kick off a successfulsemester: www.mtsu.edu/~provost/newfaculty/ index.htm.

The general Fall Faculty Meeting,scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24,in Tucker Theatre will formally blendnew faculty into the university familywith an itinerary of announcements,introductions and a “state of the uni-versity” address from PresidentSidney A. McPhee. The session alsowill feature the MTSU FoundationAwards, which include OutstandingTeacher Awards, OutstandingInstructional Technology Awards,Outstanding Public Service Awards,Distinguished Research Awards, theCreative Activity Award, the CareerAchievement Award and SpecialProjects Awards.

The annual faculty luncheon willfollow at noon in the James UnionBuilding.

“New Faculty Orientation givesus an opportunity to welcome facultyand give them a sense of what isimportant in the MTSU communityand to share with them the resourcesavailable to them,” said Dr. KayleneGebert, executive vice president andprovost. “This is always an excitingtime for us as our new faculty bringenergy, new ideas and expertise thatenhance our teaching, research andoutreach efforts.

“Most importantly, the NewFaculty Orientation underscores thatMTSU is a student-centered institu-tion that truly focuses on a qualityeducational experience,” Gebertnoted. “Student-centeredness andquality are the essential core of ourdynamic university.”

New faculty also are invited toshowcase their knowledge by joiningthe Office of News and Public Affairs’roster of experts with research back-ground, training and experience inspecific areas of interest to the media.

“Today’s Response” is a media tipsheet that NPA sends out every week-day to more than 170 print and elec-tronic media members, offeringexpert commentary on timely newstopics.

Recent “TR” items have quotedfaculty and staff experts on topicsranging from financial disclosure

rules for state government officials tothe impact of Rupert Murdoch’s pur-chase of The Wall Street Journal. (To geta feel for TR, check out todays-response-from-mtsu.blogspot.com.)

To ensure the success of TR—and,most importantly, to keep MTSU’swealth of expertise at the forefrontwhen local media need commen-tary—NPA needs to continuallyreplenish the pool of campus experts.

New faculty members, as well asthose who’ve never volunteered theirexpertise before, can visit the NPAWeb site at www.mtsunews.com and

click on “Experts List.” The form pro-vided there can be filled out and sentto NPA. There’s also much more foreveryone, including new faculty, onthe NPA site. Check out “SuccessfulEvents: How NPA Can Help,” whichincludes a list of colleges and depart-ments on campus that each NPA staffmember covers. In whatever list yourarea appears, that public informationofficer is your initial point of contactfor public relations and publicityneeds.

Also on the Web site, check outthe links to “MTSU News Releases,”

the “MT Record” TV program, the“MTSU On the Record” radio pro-gram podcasts and “MTSU AudioClips.” They’re just a sample of theways MTSU is in the news. For moreinformation, call Tom Tozer, directorof News and Public Affairs, at 615-898-5131 or e-mail him at ttozer@mtsu.edu.

“The beginning of the fall semes-ter is a busy and exciting time,”added Gebert. “We encourage all fac-ulty to participate in as many of theopening meeting and activities aspossible.”

The Record Aug. 13, 2007 page 5

Welcome from page 1

revisits the 100 days in which hewas the only thing standingbetween his “guests” and a hideousdeath, and recounts his subsequentlife as a refugee and activist, work-ing to uphold his vow, “Neveragain.”

A recipient of the PresidentialMedal of Freedom and the NationalCivil Rights Museum’s 2005Freedom Award, he now lives inBrussels, Belgium.

The University Convocation isfree and open to the public. First-year students are expected toattend; their families and membersof the MTSU and Murfreesborocommunities are welcome to partic-ipate as well.

Rusesabagina also will signcopies of the book the night beforeConvocation—Saturday, Aug. 25—beginning at 7 at LinebaughLibrary, located at 105 W. Vine St. inMurfreesboro. Reservations are $10each; call 615-893-4131 for more.

Monday, Aug. 21

8-9 a.m.: Refreshments and Booth/Tables Set-Up, BAS

N127 (SunTrust Room)—Information on Photographic

Services, Internet/e-mail forms, parking permits, Human

Resource Services benefits, telecommunications/voice mail.

8 a.m.-4 p.m.: Faculty photos, LRC 239.

9-9:45 a.m.: Meeting with President Sidney McPhee and

selected administrators, BAS S126—Executive Vice President

and Provost Kaylene Gebert, presiding.

9:45-10:15 a.m.: Research and Graduate Education, BAS

S126—Drs. Michael Allen, vice provost for research and dean

of the College of Graduate Studies, and Myra Norman, direc-

tor of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Break.

10:30-11:15 a.m.: “Building a Student and Faculty

Community at MTSU,” BAS S126—Dr. Kevin Smith, presi-

dent, Faculty Senate.

11:15 a.m.-noon: “The Student Culture at MTSU,” BAS

S126—Drs. Bob Glenn, vice president for student affairs and

vice provost for enrollment and academic services, and Gene

Fitch, assistant VP and dean of student life.

12:15-1:40 p.m.: Lunch.

1:45-2 p.m.: Quick Takes, BAS 126:

• Learning, Teaching & Innovative Technologies

Center—Faye Johnson and Barbara Draude, co-directors.

• Disabled Student Services and American Disabilities

Act—Dr. Watson Harris, director of academic planning and

ADA coordinator.

• Travel Rules and Regulations—Tamala Pincheon, trav-

el coordinator.

• Athletics—Chris Massaro, director of athletics.

2-3:15 p.m.: “Providing A Framework for Learning"

Faculty Workshop, BAS S126—Dr. Carolyn Hopper, learning

strategies coordinator for the University Seminar.

Tuesday, Aug. 21

8-8:30 a.m.: Refreshments and Booth/Tables Set-Up, BAS

N127 (SunTrust Room)—Human Resource Services benefits.

8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.: Faculty photos, LRC 239.

8:30-9:30 a.m.: Breakout sessions by college:

• Session I, “ITD Faculty Services,” BAS S137E

(Computer Lab)—Barbara Draude, director, Academic and

Instructional Technology Services, Information Technology

Division, and assistant professor, School of Nursing; for

College of Liberal Arts and Walker Library.

• Session II, “Master Classroom Support,” BAS S128—

Tim Brown, associate vice president, ITD; for Colleges of

Basic and Applied Sciences and Mass Communication.

• Session III, “Overall Review of Library Resources and

Services,” Walker Library—Sharon Parente, assistant profes-

sor, University Library; for Colleges of Business and

Education and Behavioral Science.

9:30-9:45 a.m.: Break.

9:45-10:45 a.m.: Breakout sessions by college:

• "ITD Faculty Services," BAS S137E; Business and

Education and Behavioral Science.

• "Master Classroom Support," BAS S128; Liberal Arts

and Walker Library.

• "Overall Review of Library Resources and Services,”

Walker Library; Basic and Applied and Mass Comm.

10:45-11 a.m.: Break.

11 a.m.-noon: Breakout sessions by college:

• "ITD Faculty Services," BAS S137E; Basic and Applied

and Mass Comm.

• "Master Classroom Support," BAS S128; Business and

Education and Behavioral Science.

• "Overall Review of Library Resources and Services,”

Walker Library; Liberal Arts and Walker Library

12:15- 1:40 p.m.: Lunch.

1:45 p.m.: College Orientation Meetings:

• Basic and Applied Sciences, BAS S128—Dean Tom

Cheatham.

• Business, BAS N219—Dean Jim Burton.

• Education and Behavioral Science, BAS S118—Dean

Gloria Bonner.

• Liberal Arts, BAS S126—Dean John McDaniel.

• Mass Communication, COMM 241—Dean Anantha

Babbili.

• University Library, Walker Library Conference

Room—Dean Don Craig.

New faculty orientation schedule set

Director of Athletics ChrisMassaro has announced thehiring of former Blue Raider

All-American David McNamara asthe men’s tennis head coach.

McNamara replaces 20-year veter-an Dale Short, who retired at the con-clusion of the 2007 season. McNamarahas spent the last five seasons as anassistant coach at Middle Tennessee,helping the Blue Raiders to a pair ofNCAA Team Championships appear-ances as well as assisting in the devel-opment of three All-Americans andnational champions—Daniel Klemetz,Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom.

“This is my dream job. It is ahuge opportunity for me personally,”McNamara said. “I’ve seen where theprogram has been and the successesDale has been able to achieve. I lookforward to continuing those successesand taking the program to anotherlevel.”

McNamara said Short has been ahuge influence on his life ever sincethe young Australian arrived on cam-pus in January 1995.

“Dale has been a coach, a fatherfigure, a best mate, a mentor and a

boss, and he willcontinue to be all ofthose, as he will stillbe a big part of thisprogram,”McNamara said.

“Dale, BuckBouldin and DickLaLance have built aprogram here to bevery proud of, and Ihope to continue

that tradition.” Middle Tennessee has compiled a

66-58 overall dual-match record dur-ing his five seasons as an assistant,including a 49-27 mark the past threeyears. The Blue Raiders claimed theirfirst Sun Belt championship in 2005and lost in the first round of the

NCAA Team Championships in 2005and 2006.

The Melbourne, Australia, nativehas also been a big part of the pro-gram’s individual success in colle-giate grand slam tournaments, relyingon his experience as a national cham-pion doubles player.

“David beat out a very competi-tive field for the position,” Massarosaid. “He has the advantages of beinga great player here at MiddleTennessee and also a good teacher ofthe game. Plus, he had Coach Short’sunequivocal endorsement, whichmeant a lot to me.

“I am confident David is the bestperson to build upon the successes wehave already achieved and to moveour program to an even higher level.”

McNamara received his bache-lor’s degree in exercise science in 2002and a master’s in sport managementin 2005. He took a teaching position inupstate New York before returning in2006 to Murfreesboro.

Assistant coach to lead men’s tennis team from MT Media Relations

Speaker from page 1

McNamara

page 6 The Record Aug. 13, 2007

AT THE TOP—Members of MTSU’sEducational Talent Search program pauseat the exhibit area of Top of the Rock atRockefeller Center during their July 16-20visit to New York City to take advantageof cultural opportunities—and to pose fora fun group photo. METS CoordinatorDebbie Frisby said the 27-member groupattended the Broadway shows “The LionKing” and “Mamma Mia,” visited theStatue of Liberty and Ground Zero, touredNBC Studios, the Natural Science Museumand Juilliard. They also explored St. Paul’sCathedral, SoHo, Chinatown and LittleItaly and performed at the Apollo Theaterin Harlem. METS, which is 100 percentfederally funded at $220,000 annually,serves more than 600 middle- and high-school students in Coffee, Grundy andWarren counties to help first-generationcollege students receive financial aid andattend the college of their choice.

photo submitted

If they can make it there ...

For local artist Erin Anfinson, theCivil War has become palpablevia paint.

Thanks to the history-themedmural that she’s been commissionedto create at The Heritage Center ofMurfreesboro and Rutherford County,Anfinson is experiencing the war inways that bring it to life.

“This experience makes the CivilWar much more tangible than I’veexperienced before,” said Anfinson,an assistant professor of art at MTSU.She is currently creating the work thatwill be on display at the center’s mainexhibit gallery as part of a permanentCivil War exhibit for the City ofMurfreesboro and Rutherford County.

Funded by the Tennessee CivilWar National Heritage Area, the com-missioned work will be the back-ground for the entire war exhibit,noted Melissa Zimmerman, heritageprogramming specialist for the Centerfor Historic Preservation at MTSU.

“The Civil War andReconstruction era is a big part ofMurfreesboro, and that is why thismural and exhibit are so important tothe city,” Zimmerman said. “Theexhibit will tell more about the socialhistory of the event, and we hope thatit will better prepare people to go outand see the Sam Davis Home (inSmyrna), Oaklands, Bradley Academyand the Stones River NationalBattlefield (in Murfreesboro).”

Although the artist said she hasnot yet titled the in-progress mural,the full exhibit is to be called “TheTime That Changed Everything:Murfreesboro’s Civil War Era.”

“We feel fortunate to have foundnot only a well-respected, nationallyexhibited artist for this mural, butalso someone who is part of the out-standing MTSU faculty,” saidZimmerman, who added that the ideafor the mural’s design was derivedfrom old photographs now housed in

MTSU’s Albert Gore Sr. ResearchCenter.

Anfinson said her main inspira-tion for the mural is a single photo-graph that depicts Union troops occu-pying the downtown square inMurfreesboro during the Civil War.

“She took different pieces of eachphotograph and wove them togetherperfectly, (and) she found and incor-porated details that most peoplewould never notice,” saidZimmerman, referring to Anfinson’sartistry and skills of observation.

Although it’s not the largestmural she’s undertaken, Anfinsonsaid that once completed, the mural—which is being painted on stretchedcanvas—will be 8-by-18-feet in size.

Anfinson said she accepted theoffer to paint the work because “it’salways a good challenge to take on aproject outside of your regular studiopractice, and working with new con-tent, materials and pushing beyondyour normal scale limitations canteach you a lot.”

With a completion date of Aug. 17as her goal, Anfinson said she firstdrafted the mural’s design on hercomputer, then set about the task oftransferring the idea to canvas.

As for the center’s staff, theycouldn’t be more delighted with thenewest addition to their surround-ings.

“It was like it was meant to bethere,” said Zimmerman of themural’s locale, “because there is ahuge bay window that is framed bywooden molding in the room—theperfect frame for the canvas.”

Anfinson’s mural, however, is justone intriguing component of theupcoming Murfreesboro’s Civil WarEra exhibit, which is slated to be com-pleted by late fall, Zimmerman said.

Planned by MTSU graduate stu-dents and co-curators Ashley Tate andJulie Lenger, the exhibit will encom-pass 15 panels that present informa-tion through text and graphics, as

well as three interactive exhibits,Lenger said.

“We hope the exhibit will inspirevisitors to explore the county’s manyhistoric sites and neighborhoods touncover more of the story,” Zimmer-man said.

Located at 225 W. College St., thecenter is open weekdays from 9 a.m.

to 3 p.m. Admission is always free.For more information on the cen-

ter, including current exhibits, visi-tor’s information on area sites andcultural events, programming ortours, please contact the center at 615-217-8013.

History comes alive in Civil War-themed muralby Rometrius North

Art professor’s canvas stretches back to 1860s

TRACING HISTORY—Assistant art professor Erin Anfinson outlines key parts of hermural in progress at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County in thephoto above. The photo at top is the view of the Union-occupied Public Square inMurfreesboro during the Civil War that inspired a mural.

photos submitted

Agroup of Middle Tennesseehome builders and relatedindustries’ representatives

presented a check for more than$61,000 to The Residential HomeBuilding and Land DevelopmentProgram at MTSU July 23.

Regent Homes, led by president

David McGowan, assembled a groupof local home builders, subcontractorsand suppliers to build a home in theBlackman Farms community inMurfreesboro.

The home recently sold, andRegent Homes is donating the profitsto the MTSU RHBLD degree pro-gram. The program offers a bachelorof science degree in ConstructionManagement Technology that puts anemphasis on residential land develop-ment and residential home building.

“We were very fortunate to havea lot of great companies help out bydonating materials and resources,”McGowan said.

Platinum sponsors for the MTSUhouse include Regent Homes, HKConstruction/The James HardieCompany, Beazer Homes and CentexHomes.

Gold sponsors include Source 1Cabinets, Centurion Stone, 84Lumber, The L&L Company, BuildersFirst Source, B&M Insulation Co. andHermitage Lighting Gallery.

Silver sponsors include Moen,T&T Concrete, Kenco Distributors,Pinnacle Bank, Whirlpool Corp.,Sylvan Designs and Dal Tile.

Proceeds from the sale of thehome will help pay for the expensesof running the program until 2009,

when the Tennessee Board of Regentswill assume funding for the programif the required number of students isenrolled.

MTSU’s Residential HomeBuilding and Land DevelopmentProgram is the only one of its kindoffered in the United States.

Regent Homes and RegentDevelopment are also the builders ofthe Traditional Neighborhood Designcommunities of Lenox Village inNashville and Lenox of Smyrna aswell many other Middle Tennesseecommunities.

Builders, industry repsdonate proceeds ofhome sale to aid degree

The Record Aug. 13, 2007 page 7

The Middle East Center celebrates the conclusion of itsinaugural year with a bittersweet farewell and plans foreven more enlightening activities in the near future.

Younes Riyani, lecturer and doctoral candidate atAbdelmalek Essaadi University in Tetouan, Morocco, returnedto his homeland last month. The Fulbright Scholar spent thepast academic year at MTSU working on his doctoral disserta-tion.

“The concern of my dissertation is to show the affiliationof American representation of Morocco with French represen-tation of Morocco,” Riyani said in a pre-departure interview.

Specifically, Riyani is examining American impressions ofMorocco between 1912 and 1956, the time of Spanish andFrench colonization. His goal is to reread those texts fromanother perspective overlooked by Western scholars, but hesaid he does not intend to bash the West for viewing the Arab world through aCaucasian mindset.

“There is a chasm between the political society and the academic society,”Riyani said. “So the academic society has the spirit to create an equal dialoguebetween cultures, between civilizations.”

That viewpoint largely characterizes the purpose of the fledgling MiddleEast Center.

“In a kind of institutional fashion, what you do is build bridges throughyour exchanges,” said Dr. Allen Hibbard, English professor and center director.

In one short year, it has seen the approval of an interdisciplinary minor inMiddle East studies, an introductory course in the subject, classes in first-yearArabic and Hebrew and a community outreach program aimed at middle- andhigh-school teachers.

In addition, several accomplished scholars were brought to campus,including Riyani’s fellow Fulbright Scholar, Muhammad Masud of YarmoukUniversity in Irbid, Jordan, who served as a teaching assistant in elementaryArabic courses.

Plans are under way to bring Dr. Abdul Aziz Said, founder of American

University’s Center for Global Peace, and Dr. Robert Satloff, executive directorof the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, to MTSU this fall in conjunc-tion with conferences on diversity and the Holocaust, respectively. In addition,MTSU will co-sponsor an international conference in Tangier next May.

“This year, we’ve been fortunate to have a federal grant, an UndergraduateInternational Studies and Foreign Languages grant offered through theDepartment of Education, and that’s a matching grant, so that when we put inour proposal, there is a commitment from the university to match the dollars,”Hibbard said.

The center has established its own brick-and-mortar headquarters withphones and a part-time secretary, Chantal Rich, in Room 104 of the MidgettBuilding. Hibbard attributes the center’s rapid growth to leadership and back-ing from President Sidney A. McPhee, Vice President and Provost Dr. KayleneGebert and College of Liberal Arts Dean Dr. John McDaniel, as well as theimmediacy of worldwide political issues and the enthusiasm of faculty andstudents.

“We’re investing our time and energy into this new program, and that’scontagious,” Hibbard said.

Fulbright Scholar‘builds bridges’ forMiddle East Center by Gina K. Logue

SCHOLARLY PURSUITS—Fulbright Scholar Younes Riyani poses with some of the texts that contributed

to his doctoral dissertation on American impressions of Morocco between 1912 and 1956.

photo by J. Intintoli

Residential Development Program receives $61,000

from Staff Reports

Dr. Abdul Khaliq (mathematicalsciences) was an organizer for a minisymposium, “Advances on Modelingin Financial Mathematics,” at theSixth International Congress onIndustrial and Applied MathematicsConference, held July 16-20 in Zurich,Switzerland.

Jim Ferguson (jazz studies) waselected as a national vice president ofthe American Federation of Televisionand Radio Artists at its national con-vention in Philadelphia July 19-21.

Dr. Gore Ervin (biology) is coau-thor of a book chapter, “FetalPhysiology,” that appears in the fifthedition of Obstetrics: Normal andProblem Pregnancies, published in Juneby Churchill Livingstone.

Dr. Michael Linton (music theo-ry and composition) published anarticle on the fate of symphonyorchestras, “And the Band PlayedOn,” in the July 14 edition of The WallStreet Journal.

Dr. Anhua Lin (mathematical sci-

ences) attended the FifthInternational BioinformaticsWorkshop June 24-26 at ShandongUniversity, Weihai, China. He alsotraveled to Shanghai JiaotongUniversity to collaborate with mathe-maticians as well as give talks.

E-mail your faculty/staff accom-plishments to gfann@mtsu.edu or faxto 615-898-5714, Attention: The Record,Faculty/Staff Update. If your depart-ment isn’t receiving enough copies ofThe Record, please e-mail gfann@mtsu.edu with “Record Circulation” inthe subject line.

page 8 The Record Aug. 13, 2007

Faculty/Staff Update

PublicationsConferences

See yourself in The Record!

UR007-0807

Tom TozerDirector, News and Public Affairs

Editor: Gina E. Fanngfann@mtsu.edu

Contributors: Gina K. Logue, John Lynch,Paula Morton, Lisa L. Rollins, Randy Weiler,Doug Williams, Seth Alder and RometriusNorth.

Photos: MTSU Photographic Services,except where noted

Printed by Franklin Web Printing Co.

Phone: 615-898-2919 Fax: 615-898-5714

The Record is published every two weeksby the Office of News and Public Affairsat MTSU. It is distributed free to faculty,staff, friends and media outlets.

Attention Postmaster:Address changes andother correspondence shouldbe addressed to:

The RecordOffice of News and Public AffairsCAB 209, MTSUMurfreesboro, Tenn. 37132

MTSU, a Tennessee Board of RegentsInstitution, is an equal opportunity, non-racially identifiable, educational institu-tion that does not discriminate againstindividuals with disabilities.

The MTSU Scholars Academymay need to revise its name—to the Road Scholars Academy.

Its students are incoming fresh-men who’ve spent the last month inintroductory classes like speech andUniversity Studies 1010 to familiarizethemselves with MTSU before the fallsemester’s wild rumpus starts.

They dive into the SummerReading Selection and use it to createa project that culminates in a whirl-wind all-night road trip.

Many of the young people havehardly left their hometowns before,much less Tennessee. And yet therethey were at the Grand Canyon in2005, watching the sun rise.

There they were in New OrleansAug. 3, unloading donated books torefurbish the hurricane-desecratedlibraries of Southern University ofNew Orleans and Dillard University.

“They amaze me,” Dr. SharonShaw-McEwen, director of MTSU’sOffice of Institutional Diversity andthe instigator of the Academy, said,watching the 29 students scurryingfrom box to stack to desk in Room 106of the Paul W. Martin HonorsBuilding to prepare for the trip.

“Our project is always based on

the Summer Reading Selection, andthis year the students decided to cre-ate a pictorial journal or paper com-paring the situation in Rwanda (fromPaul Rusesabagina’s An OrdinaryMan) to the devastation and carnagethat occurred and is still present inNew Orleans.

“They’ve been preparing by read-ing the book and watching ‘When theLevees Broke’ (Spike Lee’s HBO doc-umentary), and they decided one ofthe best ways they could help was tocollect books for the universitylibraries,” Shaw-McEwen explained.

Students were asked to bring atleast 50 donated books each to con-tribute to the service project. The finaltally was more than 1,000, hand-inventoried according to title, author,ISBN and date and then cataloguedby spreadsheet on one of three lap-tops on the way down to New

Orleans. SUNO had another 200boxes of donated books waiting in atrailer to be inventoried, too, so theMTSU road scholars whipped thoseinto spreadsheets as well.

“I’m just excited to see thechanges in New Orleans,” saidJasmine Malone, a Nashville fresh-man, as she typed the inventory infor-mation into the computer. “I wentdown in 2005 and want to see howthey’ve gotten back on their feet.”

The books traveled under the busthat ferried the scholars eight hourswest to the Crescent City.

“We have no luggage. We nevertake luggage,” Shaw-McEwen said ofthe Scholars Academy excursions.“We just take backpacks. We’re justthere long enough to do what we’rethere to do and turn around andcome home.”

Four of the original scholars from

the academy’s first incarnation, the2005 First-Time Freshmen SummerInstitute, and one 2006 FTF/ScholarsAcademy participant joined theNOLA trip as “senior counselors.”Rinaud Matthews, sophomore inter-national relations major and theOID’s full-time volunteer studentassistant, served as the student coor-dinator for the project.

“We need to compliment our fac-ulty for their support, because they’rejust outstanding in their dedication toour scholars,” Shaw-McEwen said.“And Avé Trotter, our executive aide,implements whatever we come upwith, so quickly and seamlessly andperfectly.”

As for the 2007 road scholars?They’re looking forward to a littlesleep before classes start again.

For these students, it’s not the years — it’s the mileage

by Gina E. Fann

ALPHABETICAL OR NUMERICAL?—MTSU Scholars Academy student Candice Black, an incoming freshman psychology major,helps inventory donated books to deliver to Dillard and Southern Universities of New Orleans to help reopen their libraries.

photo by J. Intintoli

People Around Campus

Elections

Workshops

Scholars Academyparticipants preparefor college life with road-trip projects