Middle Tennessee State University

Kaitlyn Jackson has successfully defended her Honors thesis at MTSU. The defense marks the culmination of her work in the Honors College, which challenges students to pursue advanced scholarship and original research.

Psychology major Batoul Sawas recently presented her work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), held this year in Richmond, Virginia. NCUR is a nationally recognized conference dedicated to showcasing undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity across all academic disciplines.

The latest episode of the Middle Tennessee State University "Honors Spotlight" podcast features finance major Truvell Haddox, whose commitment to community service has gone far beyond occasional volunteerism. The episode explores Haddox's three-year dedication to feeding food-insecure and unhoused individuals across Middle Tennessee through a faith-based outreach focused on dignity, consistency, and human connection.

Middle Tennessee State University alumni and students continue to distinguish themselves on the national stage, with four MTSU-affiliated scholars awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for 2026.

The following people recently were elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

A team of Middle Tennessee State University student researchers were appointed by associate biology professor Liz Barnes to collaborate with her on her NSF grant-funded project to help improve science communication through her Science Communication Education Research Network, better known as SCERN. In addition, the team accompanied Barnes to the network's inaugural, in-person meeting last summer at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolois, Minnesota.

Nine Middle Tennessee State University students attended the annual Tennessee Psychological Association's convention during the fall 2025 semester and participated in its research poster session and competition, with three bringing home top awards.

Middle Tennessee State University has released the final graduate list and congratulates the students who received their degrees at its fall 2025 commencement ceremonies. MTSU's fall commencement saluted members of the third Class of 2025 during two ceremonies in Murphy Center to confer their degrees.

Middle Tennessee State University Student Government Association candidates for president and vice president laid out their platforms during a campuswide executive officer debate in the Student Union Atrium on Monday, Feb. 23.

Twenty-one teams, comprised of over 153 students and working with more than a dozen industry professionals, recently showcased app, computer and web projects at the 11th annual HackMT competition, hosted by the Computer Science Department at Middle Tennessee State University.

When Lincoln County native Victoria Grigsby appeared in a Middle Tennessee State University television commercial during her final semester, she wasn't acting. She was simply telling her story - one rooted in rural Tennessee, shaped by perseverance and propelled by the opportunities she found at MTSU.

Middle Tennessee State University is congratulating 6,647 students who appear on the dean's list for the fall 2025 semester. To qualify for the dean's list, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of at least 3.5 and have earned at least 12 semester hours. The complete list of honorees, compiled by the MTSU Registrar's Office and alphabetized by the students' surnames and home counties or countries, is also available as a searchable PDF in this story at MTSUNews.com, the university's news site: https://mtsunews.com/deans-list-fall-2025/.

Middle Tennessee State University's Campus Recreation Center gym was packed with potential at the annual campuswide Big Career Fair, held Thursday, Sept. 25.

Middle Tennessee State University Physician Assistant Studies students participated in a mock mass casualty - a simulation that is as close to the real thing as possible - to prepare them for their yearlong clinical rotations.

The "Honors Spotlight" podcast proudly welcomes recent MTSU graduate John Tate as its latest guest, sharing his inspiring journey from campus to career - now living and working in Japan through the prestigious JET Program.

Maheswari (Mahi) Ramesh, an Aerospace major and Honors College student at Middle Tennessee State University, recently completed a comprehensive summer internship at Boise Airport, gaining hands-on experience across multiple departments and contributing to high-impact projects.

MTSU Honors Students complete theses defenses,

Two Middle Tennessee State University seniors - Genesis Sanchez Maldonado and Emily Chubb - stepped into leadership roles as volunteers for the annual Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet held Saturday, July 19, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville.

Nine Middle Tennessee State University graduating senior cadets in the Military Science program were commissioned as U.S. Army second lieutenants in a special ceremony held recently in Keathley University Theater. Commissioning ceremonies are a formal event celebrating cadets moving forward in their military journeys. They include the swearing-in by a military leader, pinning by family member and first salute from family or friends.

As part of creating a new tradition, Middle Tennessee State University held special ceremonies to present top universitywide student awards as well as 12 other True Blue Honors Bolt individual award recipients or organizations and introduction of the new Student Government Association officers for the coming academic year.

Chelsea Hall, a video and film production major and member of the Middle Tennessee State University Honors College, has been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and recently completed a Maymester study abroad program in Ireland.

Middle Tennessee State University's Department of Theatre and Dance students are proud to present "Our Town," a play that presents the story of the fictional American town in the early 1900s through the ordinary daily lives of its citizens. "Our Town" runs Thursday, Feb. 27, through Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m. at MTSU's Tucker Theatre at 615 Champion Way. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $7 for seniors and $5 for students K-12. They can be purchased online at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php or the Tucker Theatre box office before each performance. Directed by assistant professor Lauren Shouse, "Our Town" was written by Thornton Wilder and was first performed in Princeton, New Jersey, on Jan. 22, 1938. The three-act play was later successful on Broadway and earned the Pulitzer Prize for drama. "Our audience can expect to see a new take on 'Our Town' as we approach this timeless story with a focus on community," Shouse said. "The play asks whether living in the present in every moment is possible. While that is challenging in our daily lives, we hope the play can be a wakeup call to pay more attention to the things that make life worth living." "Our Town" is an exploration of the fictional town Grover's Corners, following different events and moments in the lives of the people who live there between 1901 and 1913. It begins by looking at childhood and adolescence, then marriage into death. The stage manager narrates these events and moments throughout, frequently speaking directly to the audience. The play is mostly performed without a set on a bare stage. The 25-student cast members and crew began working on the production in late November.

The University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University recently inducted 20 students as Buchanan Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year.

Middle Tennessee State University Honors students Dante Buttrey, Hannah Ferreira, Victoria Grigsby, and R.J. Ware; Experiential Learning student Marcus Rosario; and Graduate Studies student Nancy Prescott presented poster research at the national Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement meeting, the annual conference of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities this year held in Detroit, Michigan.

Four Middle Tennessee State University students earned top prizes and recognition for their artistic talents in designing lapel pins for True Blue Core, the newly revamped general education program at the university.

The Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raider equestrian Western team recenlty earned the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Horse and Rider-sponsored Western discipline team national championship for the second consecutive year.

Two Middle Tennessee State University students Elliot Certain, a social work major, and Brian Maxwell, a video and film production major, and faculty member Jill Austin, management professor, were recently bestowed the 2024 Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award at the state Capitol.

Two Middle Tennessee State University Honors students were accepted to attend the 2023 First Generation Student Forum at American Enterprise Institute's Washington, D.C., headquarters in November.