addenda The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter June 16, 2015

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1 addenda The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter June 16, 2015 Oelrich is a quarterfinalist for GRAMMY Music Educator Award Dr. John Oelrich, director of bands and assistant professor of music, has been named a quarterfinalist for the 2016 Music Educator Award, given by the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy. The third annual award will be presented at the Special Merit and Awards Ceremony and Nominees Reception during GRAMMY week The Music Educator Award is given to recognize music educators for their contributions to the musical landscape and is open to current U.S. music teachers from kindergarten through college. Teachers must be nominated in order to apply. A total of 213 music teachers from 914 cities in 42 states have been announced as quarterfinalists from more than 4,500 initial nominations, according to a GRAMMY Foundation press release. I love to share in the creation of musical art with my students both in rehearsals and performances; in the moment, sharing music and emotion openly with each other, human to human, said Oelrich. While learning to consistently perform and teach a high level are a significant part of what we do, it s the people students and colleagues that you share those experiences with that are most important. I am proud of and continually inspired by my students and their enthusiasm to enter the field of music education. Semifinalists will be announced in September and 10 finalists will be notified by the end of the year. One winner will receive a $10,000 honorarium and a $10,000 grant for his or her school. The winner will also be flown to the GRAMMY Awards host city to accept the award and Dr. John Oelrich, director of bands and assistant professor of music, is being considered for the 2016 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. attend the GRAMMYs. The nine other finalists and their schools will each receive $1,000 honorariums. Dr. Oelrich is an outstanding educator that has brought many years of public school teaching experience with him to UT Martin, said Dr. Jonathan Vest, associate professor and chair, Department of Music. His recognition by the GRAMMYs indicates his dedication to his students and to the field of music education. We have many superbly qualified educators in the Department of Music and are thrilled that one of our own has been recognized in this way. For more information, visit com. MBA program to include agriculture option, beginning fall 2015 Agricultural professionals and those aspiring to enter the world s largest industry will have a new educational option beginning in the fall 2015 semester. A new agriculture option will be offered through the UT Martin MBA program, allowing students to combine the benefits of an MBA with specialized agribusiness coursework. [Students] will be getting the best of both worlds. They ll get the traditional MBA training in finance and marketing and that sort of thing, but then they ll also take specialized courses in risk management issues and other topics specialized for agriculture, said Dr. Joey Mehlhorn, Parker Chair of Excellence in Agriculture and professor, Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources. This will be more of an applied field that is directly in their area. Students will take the same core classes as those earning a traditional MBA degree, with the addition of 12 hours of directed coursework designed to focus on the domestic and international agribusiness industry. Those who complete the program will finish with a specialized degree and training in agricultural risk analysis, international trade, commodity features and project management issues in agribusiness. A master s degree program in agribusiness benefits working professionals in a variety of existing fields, including agricultural lending, crop protection, seed distribution and animal health. Coursework is available in either online or hybrid formats. For more information on admissions requirements, contact Dr. Ashley Kilburn, associate professor of marketing and graduate programs coordinator, College of Business and Global Affairs, at or by at akilburn@ utm.edu.

2 page 2 addenda June 16, 2015 faculty and staff excellence YoUTMS FAMILY TIES Emily Munoz (right), a senior manager for TAPS seminars, is the daughter of Jim Clark, professor emeritus of computer science, and Anna Clark (left), instructor of English. Mother and daughter are pictured in front of a map of the hometowns of all the children participating in the Good Grief Camp. Katie Smith (pictured above), student organizations coordinator, graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., on May 21. She received a certificate in professional non-profit management, which included coursework in foundational principles, grant writing, board development and marketing. Smith is currently working with the City of Martin s Tennessee Soybean Festival. Anna Clark, instructor of English, and Jason Stout, assistant professor of visual and theatre arts, presented workshops at the 21st annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp in Washington, D.C., over Memorial Day weekend. Clark led a workshop called Journals for the Journey: Writing and Remembering and Stout led a session called Destroying/Rebuilding: Changing the Identity of a Shape. More than 2,000 adults, teens and children attended this year s survivor seminar. This was Clark s second year and Stout s first year to attend. Dr. Louis Glover, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and three student coauthors, Andrew Eudy, Amanda Geater and Max Turner, had the manuscript STEMulation Camps, A Vehicle for Student Teaching Preparation published in the spring edition of the Tennessee Association of Middle Schools Journal. The article highlights how pre-service teachers participating in UT Martin STEM camps are better prepared for student teaching experiences and professional teaching careers. The article can be viewed at tams.net/resources/journal/ JourSpr2015.pdf. Dr. Malcolm Koch, executive director of the Center for International Education and instructor of political science, led a travel study trip to Washington, D.C., May 3-7. Trip participants were able to attend a Tennessee Tuesday breakfast with Sen. Bob Corker. Dr. Lajuan Davis (above, left), professor; Dr. Sam Faught (above, right), assistant professor; and Drs. Jayme Long and Cooper Johnson, adjunct instructors, College of Business and Global Affairs, recently received Presentation Excellence Awards from the International Conference on Learning and Administration in Higher Education 2015, held in Nashville. Davis gave a presentation titled Improving Students Writing Skills without Increasing Instructor Workload. Faught, Long and Johnson presented a paper titled Organizational Wellness Programs Effect on Business Practices. The awards are given based on average ratings from conference attendees. TENNESSEE TUESDAY Faculty members and students from Political Science 467 pictured are (l-r) Sandra Koch, lecturer, Department of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Political Science; Dr. Malcolm Koch, executive director, Center for International Education; Thomas Champion; Cara Brewer; Rachel Crinklaw; Dr. Anderson Starling, assistant professor, Department of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Political Science; Sen. Bob Corker; Saud Altimyat; Ali Barros; Jackson Redditt; Paul Jordan; Kayla Tunstall and Katie Nixon.

3 page 3 addenda June 16, 2015 Three UT Martin students compete for Miss Tennessee title PAGEANT CONTESTANTS (l-r) Courtney Caton, of Huntingdon, is Miss Mid-South; Hannah Robison, of Paris, is Miss Scenic City; and Shelby Dotson, of Rutherford, is Miss UT Martin. All three are UT Martin students and will compete in the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant, June 1720, in Jackson. UT Martin will have not one, but three students competing in the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant June at the Jackson Civic Center in Jackson. Shelby Dotson is representing the university as Miss UT Martin. Dotson is a junior from Rutherford majoring in elementary education, grades K-6. She is active on campus as a pep leader and as a member and Panhellenic Conference delegate for Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Dotson supports Relay for Life and hopes to use her TOWN AND GOWN - Members of the UT Martin and the City of Martin Town and Gown Association gathered for a chancellor s luncheon May 21 in the Nick and Cathy Dunagan Alumni Center. Businesses that have committed to the program for five years were recognized at the luncheon and presented with a framed print and the first of five annual membership medallions. Pictured at the luncheon are (l-r, seated) Lisha Tuck, associate director of advancement, UT Martin; Kim Longacre, The Looking Glass Coffee and Curiosities; Sandy Brundige, Martin Specialty Clinic; Dr. Lynn Alexander, dean, UT Martin College of Humanities and Fine Arts; (standing) Todd Hampton, Edward D. Jones & Co.; Dr. Chris Moore, Moore Dental; Dr. Tom Rakes, chancellor, UT Martin; Scott Taylor, State Farm Insurance; and Dr. Danny Donaldson, EyeCare Center of Martin. Not pictured are Brian Smith, The Sideline, and Claire Wade, Claire & Schuster Interiors. position to help create a world with more birthdays. Hannah Robison, a senior chemistry major from Paris, is serving as Miss Scenic City. She is active on campus as a general chemistry recitation leader for the Department of Chemistry and Physics and is an alumna of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Robison s personal platform is Campaign Against Pain: Arthritis Awareness, and she is also an advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. She previously worked for the UT Martin branch of the West Tennessee STEM Hub and has created her own STEM Day at Children s Miracle Network Hospitals across the state, where she conducts science experiments with hospital patients. Robison previously competed for the Miss Tennessee 2013 title, where she won the swimsuit preliminary award and placed as second runner-up overall. Courtney Caton will compete in the pageant as Miss Mid-South. She is a junior marketing and business management double major from Huntingdon. She is using her position as Miss MidSouth to promote the March of Dimes Foundation, which seeks to promote stronger, healthier babies and pregnancies. Caton created a service initiative called Miracles in Small Packages to deliver care packages to babies and families receiving neonatal intensive care in West Tennessee hospitals. The final night of competition will be televised live on EPlusTV6 in Jackson and available online via live stream at For more information on the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant, visit misstennessee.org/index.php. CHANCELLOR SMITH SPEAKS AT OPEN FORUM Faculty and staff gathered June 9 in Watkins Auditorium to hear Interim Chancellor Bob Smith speak about university priorities and other related topics during an open forum. In the invitation announcing the event, Smith wrote that the open forum provides an early opportunity to ensure we are keeping the lines of communication open with the entire campus for the coming academic year. During his comments he noted that one of his top priorities is preparing the university for the next chancellor s search, with the goal to make the position more attractive to top candidates when the search begins. Another major priority is improving the university s enrollment, which he said is everyone s job. It is really critical for us to turn this (enrollment) around and regain our bragging rights, he said, adding, It is our total responsibility for enrollment. The open forum was Smith s first campus-wide meeting since becoming interim chancellor June 1.

4 page 4 addenda June 16, 2015 In Memory Chancellor s Staff Actions Approved May 26 Approval to implement a registration and fee responsibilities agreement in conjunction with the campus registration process, effective July 1, The required agreement ensures that each person is informed of the university s collection process for delinquent accounts (including room, board, parking citations, library fines, bookstore charges, class fees and other charges assessed by UT Martin) and acknowledges that collection costs will be assessed for an internal collection fee on the balance owed. Additionally, those accounts not cleared internally will be placed with an external collection agency and charged a rate not to exceed the legal amounts allowable. For more information, please contact the bursar s office at Dr. Milton Simmons (pictured above, right), a retired faculty member and administrator, passed away June 4 at the age of 87. Simmons was a professor of psychology from and served twice as vice chancellor for academic affairs, twice as dean for the School of Arts and Sciences, and as chair for several academic departments. Simmons may be best known as a teacher and director of the Tennessee Governor s School for the Humanities. Betty Cowen, administrative specialist, College of Education, Health and Behavioral Sciences, passed away May 17 at the age of 65. Cowen served the university for almost 47 years. Her husband, Roger, passed away on the same date. BLOOD BATTLE CHAMPIONS (l-r) Cary Haggard Bivens and Jessica Brownyard, student ambassadors for the UT Martin Parsons Center, display the championship trophy won in the first annual Lifeline Blood Battle between the center and Jackson State Community College in Lexington. Students and staff from the Parsons Center donated 69 units of blood, and JSCC Lexington donated 58 units. The competition will be held each semester to help fill the need for blood at area hospitals. addenda The University of Tennessee at Martin Published weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin, TN Dr. Joseph DiPietro - President, University of Tennessee System Dr. Robert Smith - Interim Chancellor Bud Grimes - Addenda Editor Nathan Morgan - University Photographer UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. E Calendar June Equestrian premier camp for riders ages June Skyhawk Rodeo at College National Finals Rodeo; Casper, Wyo. June Piano Camp, Fine Arts Building, 8 a.m. June 16 Biweekly payroll approval, period 13/15 June Women s basketball high school team camp June 19 SOAR III, Boling University Center, 8:30 a.m. June 20: Middle school and high school women s basketball camp tournament June Men s basketball fundamental camp for ages 6-14 June 23 Biweekly pay date June 28 Biweekly pay period 14/15 ends June Advanced women s basketball camp for grades 7-12 June 29 Summer Lunch Bunch; Dunagan Alumni Center; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; $7 per person FEATURED PERFORMANCE The UT Martin Wind Ensemble presented a feature performance at the Tennessee Music Education Association 2015 State Conference, April 9, at the Cannon Center for the Arts in Memphis. This was the ensemble s first time to be selected to perform at the conference. Dr. John Oelrich, director of bands and assistant professor of music, conducted the ensemble, with Bill Waterman, director of athletic bands, guest conducting one piece. Dr. Elaine Harriss, professor of music, appeared as a soloist on George Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue. Audio recordings of the performance may be accessed at departments/band/ensembles.php.

5 page 5 addenda June 16, 2015 DEAN HAROLD SMITH VISITS CAMPUS Dr. Harold Smith (seated left), professor emeritus of animal science and dean emeritus, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, joined former colleagues for lunch June 3 in the Brehm Hall conference room that bears his name. The visit included a tour of the university s Agricultural and Natural Resources Teaching Complex and plenty of reminiscing during lunch. Joining Dean Smith were (l to r) Dr. Jerry Gresham, professor emeritus of animal science; Harry Henderson, retired superintendent of the Martin Agricultural Experiment Station; Dr. Todd Winters, dean, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences; Dr. Al Smith, professor emeritus of horticulture; Richard Shadden, professor emeritus of agricultural engineering; Dr. Bobby Hathcock, professor emeritus of plant science; and Dr. Wes Totten, interim department chair, Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources. More about Dean Smith, who was a decorated Navy pilot for his service during World War II, can be found in the summer/fall 2012 edition of Campus Scene, UT Martin s alumni magazine. The online magazine can be found at departments/univrel/_pdfs/summer_fall_2012.pdf. MID-SOUTH ECONOMIC SUMMIT The Tennessee Small Business Development Centers at the UT Martin REED Center and Dyersburg State Community College partnered to host the ninth annual Mid-South Economic and Business Development Summit on May 12 in Dyersburg. The summit, which focused on The Golden Standards for your Business and Community, addressed ways to make smart, sustainable and inclusive decisions regarding business growth. Eric Spellman, founder of Spellman and Associates; Pat Riley, general manager, Gibson County Utility District; and Ashton Jennings, interim director, the Ned McWherter Institute on Collaboration and Innovation, presented the three seminars. Pictured (l-r) are Maleia Evans, Dyersburg State Community College; Randy Boyd, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; and Landy Fuqua, director, UT Martin REED Center. Boyd served as the luncheon keynote speaker. University Relations is seeking students with interesting stories to appear in website testimonials. Stories may also be repurposed for recruitment or feature material. Students must be in good academic standing, be willing and able to appear in a short video segment, and be a second-semester freshmen or above. If you would like to nominate a student, please send his or her name, student ID number and a brief idea of his or her story to Erin Chesnut at echesnut@utm.edu. The Addenda is published bi-monthly during the summer months. The next issue will be released June 29. YOUNG SCHOLARS ACADEMY Kiara Champion Castleman (left), a UT Martin Transportation Services coordinator, university graduate and current MBA student, was the keynote speaker June 12 at the Young Scholars Academy closing banquet in the Duncan Ballroom. She spoke about her own journey and the challenges she faced while becoming a successful college student. West Tennessee high school students attended the weeklong academy to experience the college campus atmosphere and participate in related academic-success and skills classes and leadership-development activities. Joining Castleman following her presentation were Benjamin Northington, YSA counselor and senior UT Martin engineering student, and Dr. Annie Jones, UT Martin minority affairs coordinator and YSA director. Please submit materials for that issue by June 24. Send your Addenda news to Bud Grimes at bgrimes@utm.edu