Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University geosciences faculty recently landed a National Science Foundation grant that allowed a grad research assistant and undergraduate to assist with a climate literacy study.

A recent graduate and an alumni from Middle Tennessee State University used their MTSU education and opportunities for research to land one of the National Science Foundation's most prestigious and long-established research fellowships.

Brooke Busbee, a recent psychology graduate, was one of three guests on April's "Out of the Blue" television magazine program, sharing her experience as part of the university's Student Organization for the Advancement as Research, known as SOAR, and as an ambassador for the organization's high school outreach program.

The Middle Tennessee State University College of Education welcomed 23 middle schoolers and 19 mentors from the university and the local community for a campus tour, fun at the Campus Recreation Center and more.

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.

Middle Tennessee State University Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program students set their sights on an "Unstoppable Future" as this year's annual fashion show recently stepped onto the runway. The record-breaking sellout show saw more than 70 design submissions from students and a whopping 80 auditions of models wanting to participate in the much-anticipated event. In the end, 48 submissions as well as students were selected for the show.

Middle Tennessee State University Human Development and Family Science students recently went full speed ahead with a landlocked "cruise" party held at St. Clair Street Senior Center. MTSU students and senior citizens alike played games, did the limbo, danced the macarena and concluded the celebration with a conga line as part of coursework for the Aging Health and Development class. The class has been beneficial for Human Development and Family Science majors Sydnee Washington of Johnson Cityand Rylee Scott from Brentwood. Most students in the undergraduate program plan to work with children. But one in six children in Tennessee live with their grandparents, Weir said. "It's a great opportunity to get some experience working with older adults," said Human Development and Family Science lecturer Samantha Weir, who teaches the course each spring and fall. "And the intergenerational experience for the older adults is so valuable and uplifting for them."

Attending the state of Tennessee's Day on the Hill at the state Capitol may be one of the high points in the collegiate career of Middle Tennessee State University graduate student Rebecca White. In February, White joined the Tennessee Psychological Association leadership team to meet with lawmakers about legislation affecting the profession and those served by it.

The Middle Tennessee State University College of Behavioral and Health Sciences annual Academic Awards Presentation was held Tuesday, April 23, in the Student Union Ballroom. Nearly 200 seniors were spotlighted as Honors Students, which requires a scholastic average between 3.75 and 4.0. Representatives from the Departments of Psychology, Social Work, Criminal Justice Administration, Human Sciences, and Health and Human Performance presented certificates to students for their academic achievements.

The Omicron Delta Kappa Circle of Middle Tennessee State University recently inducted 16 new members.

Eight players for the Middle Tennessee State University hockey team were recognized as part of College Hockey South's All-Academic Team for the 2023-24 season.

Middle Tennessee State University sophomore Victoria Grigsby earned a spot as a Delta Scholar in the 2024 Delta Scholars Program.

As the emerging field of data science becomes an everyday part of industry and the modern job market, associate professor and researcher Ryan "Seth" Jones from the College of Education is taking a lead in developing best practices and frameworks for getting K-12 students well-versed in the topic.

Middle Tennessee State University sophomore Victoria Grigsby earned a spot as a Delta Scholar in the 2024 Delta Scholars Program.

Middle Tennessee State University sophomore and Honors Buchanan Fellow Ariel Nicastro was recently named as a 2024 Goldwater Scholar. She is one of 10 students from Tennessee institutions to receive the award this year and the only one from MTSU. The Goldwater Scholarship Program, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States, seeks to identify, encourage, and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation's next generation of research leaders in these fields. A physics major and student in the MTSU University Honors College, Nicastro was among more than 430 college students selected from more than 5,000 applicants to receive the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship this year.

Middle Tennessee State University's College of Education is working to make student research more of a focus and priority. "Research in education is vital to ensuring that we are giving our children and young people the highest quality of education for their future and to make sure our teachers feel confident in providing that for them," said Bonnie Barksdale, assistant education professor and active researcher who helps support research within the college.

In his junior year at Middle Tennessee State University, Carlos Aldana Lira was awarded a Research Experience for Undergraduates, called DUB, to attend the University of Washington in Seattle to conduct computer science education research this summer.

Middle Tennessee State University College of Media and Entertainment audio production major Bryce Tall-LaRue was awarded the Gilman Scholarship to travel to Senegal in Summer 2024.

Middle Tennessee State University's annual Invention Convention again welcomed over 1,000 local students to campus to showcase their gamut of creations that ranged from making others' lives easier, solving a community problem, providing a new service or even designing a new game.

Honors Buchanan Transfer Fellow Brian Maxwell has been named the first Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Scholar recipient at Middle Tennessee State University.

Middle Tennessee State University senior religious studies and nursing double major Eli Ward swept his arm over the five striking, colorful stained glass images depicting the stories of faith and perseverance of the patients he worked with for his research project. It was one of the almost 200 projects showcased recently inside the Student Union Ballroom at Middle Tennessee State University's 18th annual research exposition that culminates "Scholars Week," a premier research expo each spring giving students like Ward the opportunity to present their wide range of projects and passions to the campus community.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs administers University funds to directly support mentored undergraduate research through Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity grants. Awards range from $500 for beginners to $3,500 for experienced Middle Tennessee State University student researchers.

Middle Tennessee State University's Undergraduate Research Center is sending undergraduates to participate in a national research program for the second straight year to collaborate with other undergrads from across the country, to advocate for undergraduate research with government stakeholders and more.

"Collage: A Journal of Creative Expression" again received high honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The student-run magazine featuring submitted work such as poetry, art, photos, video, nonfiction, audio, and more, was recently awarded its 18th gold medalist certificate from the CSPA and was also recognized with All-Columbian Honors for the verbal category of the review process.

Middle Tennessee State University undergraduate, STEM-based researchers recently showcased their talents, met Tennessee. Gov. Bill Lee and toured the halls of state government at the annual Posters at the Capitol event in Nashville, Tennessee. The MTSU group of nine joined undergraduates from public universities across Tennessee at the Cordell Hull Building to share their projects spanning from cancer treatment to local waterway pollution.

Middle Tennessee State University's English Ph.D. program aims to provide a graduate experience with tight-knit faculty, multiple hands-on training opportunities and a supportive environment. Kylie Petrovich, a current Ph.D. candidate in the program, recently began her dissertation and shared about her decision to pursue her degree within the university's Department of English.

Two students have been named as inaugural Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassadors at Middle Tennessee State University. Created in 1966, the Foundation supports youth leadership development, voting accessibility, and social justice initiatives on campuses across the country with mini grants to select institutions of higher learning and other financial assistance to students.

A junior mechatronics engineering major at Middle Tennessee State University, Samuel Apigian has been awarded a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE) in Dresden, Germany, this summer. Apigian was selected from more than 2,000 applicants worldwide.

Middle Tennessee State University's College of Education partnered with the Rutherford Arts Alliance recently to bring reading to community kids through the second annual Southern Kid Literary Festival held on the Blue Raider campus. More commonly known as "SoKidLit!," the event brought in 167 third through fifth graders, many arriving with friends and family in tow or as part of another partnership with the local pre-K-6 school district, Murfreesboro City Schools.

Middle Tennessee State University's Quantum Science Initiative is taking more giant leaps with two new grants - totaling more than $1 million - from the National Science Foundation to expand research, education and inclusivity in quantum education.