Building bridges Inside this edition: Get on Foley’s Fulbright efforts Lectures on Sandburg, Jesus, page 2 the ice focus on Gulf, Asian links New education courses ahead, page 6 Feb. 19, page 3 see page 8 Plenty of Faculty/Staff Updates, page 8 a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community www.mtsunews.com • Jan. 31, 2011 • Vol. 19/No. 14 Historic visit strikes sweet note for MTSU music major by Gina K. Logue [email protected] he week of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s official state visit T with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., provided a moment of bliss—and a chance to be an unofficial ambassador, of sorts—for MTSU graduate student Yifei Zhong. The Chinese Ministry of Education invited Yifei, 23, to attend a Jan. 19 reception for Hu on the South Lawn of the White House along with other students and professors from various locations. The violin-performance major says she doesn’t know why she was selected, but her reaction was sheer Studying 1st-generation families delight. “Wow! That’s a big thing!” Yifei recalls thinking upon receiving the e-mailed invitation. “I’ve got to go, by Gina K. Logue ers, it’s a very, very difficult transi- Surveys conducted in 1996 by no matter what!” [email protected] tion to go to school and to stay in the National Center for Education school, because your family can be Statistics—and bolstered by data See ‘Historic’ page 5 ntrigued by a documentary in quite antagonistic toward you,” says from follow-up surveys in 1998 and which a young woman was Perrin, who adds that she had her 2001—found that approximately 40 I ostracized by her parents for parents’ total support as a first- percent of all university freshmen two years for realizing her dream of generation college student. are the first in their families to Classes canceled? attending college, Tara attend college. Perrin set out to learn In performing her Check online, TV, how other first- qualitative research, generation college stu- Perrin is analyzing her radio, Rave alerts! dents handle the chal- interviews with stu- lenges of their educa- dents and comparing hen inclement weather tional lives. them to existing aca- threatens the area, MTSU Perrin is a 36-year- demic data. While closing information will be old MTSU sociology she’s found plenty of W available online at major and Tallahassee, quantitative research www.mtsu.edu and on Fla., native. She’s writ- with grade-point aver- local radio and TV sta- ing her master’s thesis ages and retention and tions, and the uni- on first-generation stu- graduation rates, versity also will send dents’ perceptions of Perrin finds little out an alert via the changing family rela- research is available on Rave system. tionships as a result of FAMILY TIES—MTSU grad student Tara Perrin, second from right, the family dynamics of Class cancellations will apply to higher education and poses with her father, Tony Johnston; her father’s girlfriend, Betty the first-generation all classes. MTSU offices will be open how those changes Farrish; her husband, Richard Perrin; and their dog, Daisy Mae. student’s experience. unless otherwise stated. Overnight Unlike some families in her master’s thesis research, Perrin says hers affect their college “Without really decisions will be announced by 6 a.m. careers. has supported her educational goals. Tara’s mother, the late Phyllis hearing qualitative sto- Johnston, passed away before Tara completed her bachelor’s degree. the next day. “For some people, ries about their Get winter-weather details any- it’s a really smooth time at http://bit.ly/MTWeather! transition, and for oth- photo submitted See ‘Studying’ page 5 Monday, Feb. 7. Award criteria IN BRIEF and a nomination form can be PERMIT NO. 169 NO. PERMIT found at www.mtsu.edu/provost/ MURFREESBORO TN MURFREESBORO career_award.shtml. Forms should U.S. POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE U.S. RECOGNIZE ACHIEVEMENT! The Career Achievement be sent to The Career Achievement ORGANIZATION Award Committee is seeking nom- Award, Office of University NONPROFIT NONPROFIT inations for the 2010-11 MTSU Provost, Attention: Faye Johnson, Career Achievement Award by Cope Administration Building 111. www.mtsunews.com Lectures focus on Sandburg, ‘Misquoting Jesus’ from Staff Reports The lecture is planned for 3:30 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall in the [email protected] BAS. Ehrman will sign copies of his books immediately following his lecture. Ehrman, the author of more than 20 books, including three New York Times cholars who study Carl Sandburg’s musical interests and the history of bestsellers (Jesus Interrupted, God’s Problem and Misquoting Jesus), is the James early Christianity will bring their expertise to MTSU in February as part A. Gray Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of S of the university’s ongoing Distinguished Lecture Series. North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a leading authority on the New On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Dr. Jhon C. Akers will interpret the works of poet Carl Testament and the history of early Christianity. His work has been featured in Sandburg on classical guitar in “Carl Sandburg and the Time, The New Yorker, The Washington Post Spanish Guitar,” a free public lecture slated for 7:30 p.m. in and other print media, and he has the State Farm Lecture Hall, Room S102, of the Business and appeared on NBC’s “Dateline,” “The Daily Aerospace Building. Show with Jon Stewart,” CNN and other Akers, an associate professor of modern languages at media outlets. Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., was the featured lec- The Ehrman lecture is part of the turer twice for the Sandburg Days Festival in Galesburg, Ill. annual Applied Philosophy Lyceum in Sandburg, a poet, historian and winner of three Pulitzer conjunction with MTSU’s Distinguished Prizes, also collected folk songs and wrote children’s litera- Lecture Committee. ture and had a lifelong love for the Spanish guitar. For more information on the Feb. 8 Akers And on Friday, Feb. 18, the Department of Philosophy at Ehrman Sandburg lecture, contact Dr. William MTSU is sponsoring a free public lecture, “Misquoting Jesus: Yelverton at 615-898-2004 or 615-898-5623. Scribes Who Changed the Bible and Readers Who May Never Know,” by Dr. For more information on the Feb. 18 Ehrman lecture, contact Connie Bart D. Ehrman. Huddleston at 615-494-7628. Remember, faculty: Special-projects funding deadline is Feb. 11 TSU faculty, take note: The deadline for time faculty member. The grant is considered seed split the award, depending upon the projects sub- proposals for 2011 Special Projects Grants money for a project that will garner visibility and mitted. M is Friday, Feb. 11. acclaim for the university. For details on special-project grant funding Each year the MTSU Foundation grants up to The Special Projects Committee reviews all sub- applications, please visit www.mtsu.edu/development/ $20,000 to fund a special project pursued by a full- missions and selects the winning project and may special_projects.shtml. Researchers prep for Feb. 9 ‘Posters at the Capitol’ event by Randy Weiler of Franklin; Katrina A. Smith of Murfreesboro; by Zapping, Trapping and Stretching Red Blood [email protected] Lindsey Bailey of La Vergne; Samuel Mitchell of Cells Extracted from Normal Mice with Sickle Cell Nashville; collaborators Jessica Taylor of Disorder”; welve MTSU students will provide seven Manchester, Nikhil Reddy of Murfreesboro and • Smith with Dr. Ngee S. Chong, presentations being showcased Wednesday, Daniel Gouger of Chattanooga; Daniel Messick of “Characterization of Aminobiphenyl Isomers and T Feb. 9, during the sixth annual “Posters at Shelbyville; and collaborators Matt Cooley of Their Interactions with Calf Thymus DNA and the Capitol” in Nashville. Camden, Jason Pomeroy of Lascassas and Kyle Nucleotide Bases”; Along with their mentors, the MTSU student Wiseman of Murfreesboro. • Bailey with Dr. Scott Handy, “One Pot presenters will be joined by research peers from the Ian Hajizadeh of Nashville and George Carter Halogenations and Cross-Couplings in Ionic other Tennessee Board of Regents schools—Austin of Kingsport are alternate co-presenters. Liquids”; Peay, East Tennessee, Tennessee State, Tennessee The students expect to discuss their research • Mitchell with Friedli, “Porous Silica Films as Tech and University of Memphis—and those from with their respective state legislators. After lunch, a Reliable Medium for Sensing Protein-Antibody the University of Tennessee campuses at Knoxville, they will pose for photos with new Gov. Bill Binding Events”; Chattanooga and Martin. Haslam. • Taylor and Reddy with Dr. Norma Dunlap, An expected 61 poster presentations are sched- Dr. Andrienne Friedli, Undergraduate Research “Synthesis of Cyclopropyl Daniel Gouger, uled to begin around 10 a.m. in the Legislative Center director and professor of chemistry, and Peptidomimetics with Potential Anti-HIV and Plaza hallway. MTSU’s contingent will stay until Emily Born, coordinator of the Faculty Research Alzheimer’s Activity”; about 3 p.m. The public is welcome to view the and Creative Activity Grant and URC coordinator, • Messick with Dr. Nate Phillips, “The Effects posters and talk to the young researchers. are spearheading the MTSU students’ participation of Daminozide on Flower Production and Sex “It should be a great day for the students,” said at Posters on the Hill. Ratios in Hydroponic Greenhouse Cucumbers”; Dr. Tom Cheatham, College of Basic and Applied Assisting Cheatham with set-up preparations and Sciences dean. “Sen. (Bill) Ketron is helping us are academic advisers Jennifer Danylo, Travis • Cooley and Pomeroy with Dr. Mark Abolins, make arrangements this year. The only change for Tipton and Andrew Symonds and executive secre- “Movement of Groundwater Along Fold Hinges in us is that UT-Martin is joining the UT contingent tary Sheila Bleam.