1. education
2. alumni and reunions

addenda
The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter |January 5, 2014
WestStar Welcomes 26th Class to Campus Jan. 8-9
The WestStar Leadership
Program will welcome its 26th
class Jan. 8 with a two-day session
focusing on agriculture and
transportation in Obion and
Weakley Counties.
WestStar, created in 1989,
is the state’s oldest and largest
regional leadership program.
Boasting
710
graduates,
WestStar continues to serve West
Tennessee by offering leadership
development and education for
selected participants.
Class members attend eight
specially-designed
two-day
seminar programs from January
through June in locations
throughout West Tennessee.
Seminars are designed to address
contemporary issues facing the
region.
This year Brownsville and
Covington
(Haywood
and
Tipton counties) will host a
session on the fundamentals
of
economic
development
Jan. 29-30; Jackson (Madison
County) will focus on health,
welfare and social consequences
Feb. 12-13; and Nashville will
introduce participants to public
policy issues with a visit to the
Tennessee General Assembly
March 10-11. Later in the
spring, Ripley and Dyersburg
(Lauderdale and Dyer counties)
will emphasize the importance
of education April 9-10; Gibson
and Crockett counties will
focus on energy, environment
and technology April 23-24;
and Paris (Henry County) will
host a session on how to build
partnerships to improve regional
tourism May 21-22. The final
session will visit McNairy and
Hardin counties to emphasize
turning community strengths
into assets for regional growth
June 4-5. The course ends with
a graduation event June 18 in
Jackson.
WestStar not only conducts
each WestStar class, but also
offers
annual
leadershipdevelopment
opportunities
to the public. Among these
are the African American
Leadership Conference, the
Working Women’s Conference
and the West Tennessee Small
Business
Conference,
in
addition to assisting with youth
leadership development. The
FutureStar Leadership Summit
for middle school students
and the RisingStar Leadership
Summit for high school juniors
and seniors, both in their
fourth years, provide leadershipeducation experiences at UT
Martin’s main campus.
For
more
information,
contact the WestStar office at
731-881-7298.
MBA program to launch
“hybrid” course option in 2015
The university will launch a
new format for those seeking
master’s degrees in business
administration, beginning with
the fall 2015 semester.
The new “hybrid” option
features online coursework
combined with face-to-face
contact with faculty members
on five Saturday meetings a
semester. This format gives
students the flexibility to begin
any semester and work at their
own pace with limited trips to
campus.
The hybrid program, like the
online option, consists of 38
credit hours with only six hours
of undergraduate prerequisites.
The program is accredited by
the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB).
Full-time students should
expect to finish in a year and
half, with some courses offered
completely online and others
in the hybrid format. Part-time
students should finish in two to
six years.
This option will not replace
the totally online MBA currently
offered for financial services
professionals. Enrollment is
open now and students can
choose to begin in any semester.
For more information, call
731-881-7208 or email bagrad@
utm.edu.
WESTSTAR RECEIVES DEFERRED GIFT – Dr. Robert and Ramona Smith,
of Franklin, recently supported the University of Tennessee at Martin’s
WestStar Leadership Program with a $250,000 deferred gift. Smith,
president-emeritus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, was a
co-founder of WestStar and served as the program’s executive director
from 1990 until his departure from UT Martin in 1999. Pictured with the
Smiths is Charley Deal (left), WestStar executive director and UT Martin
assistant vice chancellor for alumni relations.
page 2| addenda |January 5, 2014
YoUTM
•Dr. Ian Cleary, assistant
professor,
Department
of
Biological Sciences, and biology
seniors Wes Clark, Matthew
Keathley and Sydney McClure
recently attended the 12th
annual meeting of the South
Central Medical Mycology
Association in San Antonio,
Texas. All three students gave
oral presentations about their
research conducted in Cleary’s
lab on the pathogenic fungus,
Candida albicans. Not only was
this the first time that a group
from Tennessee has attended
the SCMMA conference, but
Wes, Matt and Sydney were the
first undergraduate students
to ever present research at this
meeting. Their presentations
were very well received, and the
association looks forward to
more UT Martin presentations
in the near future.
faculty and students working together
REAFFIRMATION OF ACCREDITATION – FCS advisory council members,
faculty, students and Dr. Todd Winters (back row, fourth from left), dean,
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, gathered to network while
the advisory council was on campus in November. The program was
granted reaffirmation of accreditation.
•The UT Martin Department
of Family and Consumer
Sciences (see photo above) has
been granted accreditation from
the Council for Accreditation
of the American Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences.
This is a reaffirmation of
accreditation with the program
first receiving accreditation
in 1973. The department
was commended for forwardthinking faculty members who
engage students in a variety of
scholarly and outreach activities
and provide quality advisement.
The advisory council was also
commended for its effectiveness.
The FCS advisory council
offers input to maintain quality
programs, speaks to FCS
classes about their careers and
conducts mock interviews to
prepare students for entering
their careers. The accreditation
process includes bi-yearly reports
with a full self-study and site visit
for reaffirmation every 10 years.
•Dr. Daniel Nappo, professor
of Spanish, Department of
English and Modern Foreign
Languages, recently had his
translation of the Chilean poet
Oliver Welden’s Los poemas
de Suecia (The Sweden Poems)
published by Editorial Betania,
located in Madrid. The full
citation is: Welden, Oliver. Los
poemas de Suecia / The Sweden
Poems. Trans. Daniel J. Nappo.
Madrid: Editorial Betania, 2014.
•An article written by Dr.
Johnathan
Vest,
associate
professor and interim chair,
Department of Music, was
published in the fall 2014 edition
of The Tennessee Musician. The
article was titled “The National
Core Arts Standards.”
• Dr. Robbie Montgomery,
associate professor, Department
of Chemistry and Physics,
was awarded the Outstanding
Professional Member Research
Award for her service to the
profession and the Kentucky
Lake Section of the American
Chemical Society at the
November meeting of the KLS.
Also, at this meeting Dr. Abigail
Shelton, assistant professor,
Department of Chemistry and
Physics, was elected chair-elect
for 2015.
RECEIVES AWARD – Dr. Robbie
Montgomery received an award
for outstanding service at the
November meeting of the Kentucky
Lake Section of the American
Chemical Society. Pictured are
Dr. David Wing, Union university,
KLS-ACS chair-elect 2014, and
Montgomery. Dr. Abigail Shelton
also attended the meeting and was
elected KLS chair-elect for 2015.
Student Reading Clinics – Enrolling now
TRAVEL TO SAN ANTONIO – UT
Martin biology seniors Matthew
Keathley, Wes Clark and Sydney
McClure pause for a photo
outside of the historic Alamo in
San Antonio, Texas. The students
were in San Antonio with their
mentor, Dr. Ian Cleary, to present
their research findings on the
pathogenic
fungus,
Candida
albicans.
main campus
Students in grades 2-12 who need extra support and practice in reading may enroll.
Choose your session: Jan. 14–Feb. 11, Feb. 12–March 23 or March 24–April 27
Choose your schedule: Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday from 3-7 p.m.
Each session costs $100 plus a $25 workbook.
For more information about the reading clinic sessions or to register, visit
http://www.utm.edu/departments/ecos/nondegree.php or call
the Office of Extended Campus and Online Studies at 731-881-7082.
page 3| addenda |January 5, 2014
focus on student excellence
FFA NATIONAL OFFICER – Stephen McBride (second from right) was
elected to serve as the southern region vice president for the National FFA
Organization. Pictured with McBride are Dr. Joey Mehlhorn, chairholder,
Parker Chair of Excellence in Agriculture; Dr. James Butler, professor of
agricultural education; Dr. Todd Winters, dean, College of Agriculture
and Applied Sciences; and Chancellor Tom Rakes.
•Stephen McBride, a junior
agriculture business major from
Beechgrove, Tenn., was elected
to serve as the southern region
vice president for the National
Future Farmers of America
(FFA) Organization earlier this
fall.
According to the FFA,
national officers commit to
a year of service and travel
more than 100,000 national
and international miles to
lead
training
conferences,
form policies and interact with
industry leaders, FFA members,
state leaders and the public to
promote agricultural education.
“This has been a dream of
mine for many years, ever since I
saw my first FFA executive team.
It’s something I’ve always hoped
I could do and I am honored
to have this opportunity now,”
McBride said.
McBride will take a leave of
absence from UT Martin and
spend this next year visiting
local and state chapters across
the country, spending about
300 nights away from home.
He will also spend two weeks
in Japan learning about that
country’s agricultural education
programs.
McBride continues a long
family tradition of FFA
leadership. His father, Mark,
served as Tennessee Association
state president in 1980-81 and
his brother, Matthew, held the
same position in 2006-07. Both
are also UT Martin graduates.
There have been 13 national
FFA officers from Tennessee,
but McBride is the first from UT
Martin.
Dr. James Butler, agricultural
education professor, was earlier
named a National VIP, the
highest honor awarded by the
organization.
• Nathan Powers, from Possum
Trot, near Humbolt, received
the Beth Maloan Outstanding
UT Martin Student Employee
Award for the fall 2014 semester.
The award, presented in
November, included a plaque and
$1,000 recognizing outstanding
student worker performance.
The award is named after the
late Beth Maloan, director of
budgeting and payroll at the
time of her death in 2001 and a
proponent of experience-based
work opportunities for students.
Powers spent his part-time
job regularly inspecting about
1,000 fire extinguishers and
automated external defibrillators
across campus. He not only kept
up with his regular inspections,
but put his information systems
training to use developing and
implementing a digital tracking
system for safety inspections of
campus equipment.
Powers received a bachelor’s
degree
in
information
systems during the fall 2014
commencement exercises.
•Orren Ogg, a UT Martin
agriculture major from Martin,
received a 2014-15 Tennessee
Council
for
Cooperatives
Scholarship in the amount
of $1,000. Recipients must
be a junior agriculture major
with at least a 3.0 grade point
average. According to its
website, the TCC is a nonprofit
organization established to
promote the cooperative form
of business through education
and promotion of all types
of cooperatives. The council
sponsors six college scholarships
for agricultural students from
each of Tennessee’s four-year
agriculture programs. The
scholarship program, started in
1984, is an effort to acknowledge
and aid the young people most
likely to return to communities
served by rural cooperatives.
TCC considers the scholarships
an investment in the future of
their leadership.
RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP – Ogg
(center) receives a certificate from
Don Doran (right) recognizing his
scholarship. Doran represents
the Tennessee Valley Electric
Cooperative on the TCC board.
Dr. Todd Winters, dean, UT Martin
College of Agriculture and Applied
Sciences, and an ex officio TCC
board member, is also pictured.
Jesi Ogg, Orren’s sister and a
December graduate in agriculture
from UT Martin, received the
award last year.
Nathan Powers (right) received the Beth Maloan Outstanding UT Martin
Student Employee Award for the fall 2014 semester. He is pictured with
Mike Maloan, Jennifer Maloan Stroh and Kate and Colin Stroh, all Beth
Maloan family members. Jennifer works in the Division of Student Affairs.
page 4| addenda | January 5, 2014
Calendar
• Jan. 7 – Concert Series:
Crosswinds
Woodwind
Quintet,
7:30-9
p.m.,
Blankenship Recital Hall
• Jan. 8 – Day and Evening
Classes Begin
• Jan. 10 – Miss UT Martin/
Miss Tennessee Soybean
Festival pageant bootcamp,
9 a.m., Harriet Fulton
Theatre
• Jan. 8 – Women’s basketball
vs. Eastern Kentucky, 5:307 p.m., Elam Center
• Jan. 10 – Women’s
basketball vs. Morehead
State, 4-5:30 p.m., Elam
Center
• Jan. 8 – Men’s basketball
vs. Eastern Kentucky, 7:309 p.m., Elam Center
• Jan. 10 – Men’s basketball
vs. Morehead State, 6-7:30
p.m., Elam Center
• Jan. 8-9 – WestStar
welcomes 26th class
• Jan. 11 – Rifle vs.
Columbus State at Murray
State, Murray, Ky.
• Jan. 9 – Crosswinds
Woodwind
Quintet
Master Class, 2-3 p.m.,
Blankenship Recital Hall
(Note: The Addenda calendar is not a
comprehensive listing of university events.
Check the events calendar at www.utm.
edu or utmsports.com for additional
SOLOMONS RETIRES – Len Solomons (seated, center) was named vice
chancellor emeritus for university advancement upon her retirement
from the university. Friends and coworkers from the alumni relations and
development staffs gathered in the Nick Dunagan Alumni Center to wish
her well. Pictured (seated l to r): Sarae Seratt, Holly Dethloff, Solomons,
Andy Wilson and Kelley Trevathan; (standing l to r) Charley Deal, Mary
Baker, Dana Prince, Lisha Tuck, Jason Sullivan, Joyanne Gansereit, Jeanna
Curtis-Swafford, Andrew Hart and Ashton Jennings
university events or activities.)
Advance Registration Available
for West Tennessee Small
Business Conference
Advance
registration
is
open for the West Tennessee
Small Business Conference on
Thursday, Feb. 19, at the First
United Methodist Church,
200 South Church Street, in
Jackson. The conference theme
is “Growing Your Business in
Small Town America.” The
conference is a collaborative
effort among West Tennessee
partners led by UT Martin’s
WestStar Leadership Program.
Chancellor
Tom
Rakes,
Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist and
Madison County Mayor Jimmy
Harris will welcome participants,
followed by nationally-known
speaker Michael Angelo Caruso
whose topic will be “Effective
Leadership – Getting People
to do Stuff.” Caruso will also
present an optional session at 1
p.m. titled “Special Presentation
for Non-Profits: Fundraising
Through Stories.” Caruso is the
author of the “Five Cool Ideas”
book series.
Concurrent sessions begin in
the morning and continue into
the afternoon. Lunch will be
at noon and will feature Grant
Edwards, owner of Chick-fil-A
on Vann Drive in Jackson, as the
luncheon speaker.
Concurrent sessions include:
•Show Me the Money:
Business
Plans/Strategic
Planning – Joe Rowell,
entrepreneur and president,
Check Solutions Company,
Memphis;
•Survival vs. the Giants:
The 3 R’s – Recruit, Revive
and Retain – Grant Edwards,
owner, Chick-fil-A, Vann Drive,
Jackson;
•Networking and Marketing
(Including Social Media) –
Amy Howell, owner, Howell
Marketing, Memphis;
•How Do We Measure
Success? – Joe Rowell, Check
Solutions Company;
•Be a Winner: Learn How
to Negotiate – Michael Angelo
Caruso, speaker and author;
•Managing
Generational
Differences (panel discussion) –
Dave Bratcher, panel moderator
and vice president, financial
services,
West
Tennessee
Healthcare Foundation, Jackson;
Austin Baker, president, HRO
Partners, Memphis; Chuck
Doss, INCO Ag Irrigation,
Union City; Cheri Childress,
vice president, BeCe Enterprises
Inc., Milan; and Joe White,
owner, Ace Hardware, Parsons.
Commercial booths and
networking
opportunities
will follow the concurrent
sessions. Call the WestStar
Leadership Program for booth
or sponsorship information at
731-881-7298.
The conference fee is $75.
Registration includes breakfast
sponsored by Chick-fil-A at 7:30
a.m. and lunch. Register for the
conference online at www.utm.
edu/weststar or email Virginia
Grimes at vgrimes@utm.edu
or Jordan Jones at jjone239@
utm.edu. Email registrations
should include name, business,
a complete address and phone
number.
Send your
Addenda news to :
Bud Grimes
bgrimes@utm.edu
page 5| addenda |January 5, 2014
Calling All Contestants
Miss UT Martin/Miss
Tennessee Soybean Festival
Scholarship Pageant
• Jan. 31 – 7 p.m.
• Harriet Fulton Theatre
• Register by Jan. 18
• Tickets at the door
Pageant Bootcamp
• Jan. 10 – 9 a.m.
• Harriet Fulton Theatre
• RSVP to ksmit209@
utm.edu by Jan. 8
• Will focus on walking
and interview skills
All contestants must raise $100
for the Children’s Miracle Network
Scholarships
PARSONS CENTER CONTRIBUTES TO FOOD DRIVE SUCCESS – The UT
Martin Parsons Center and Tennessee College of Applied Technology LPN
students donated 979 canned food items to the Decatur County Backpack
program. UT Martin Parsons Center nursing students and TCAT won the
competition by donating 730 canned food items to the total. Pictured
from left to right are: Andrea Hearington, Jerry Forsythe (Parsons Center
maintenance staff member), Ginger Teague, Kathleen Przybeck (Parsons
Center program resource specialist), Amy Lee, Dr. Kelli Deere (Parsons
Center director), Jami Hayes, Jessica Brownyard and Lauren Mooney.
YoU Tell Me
Miss UT Martin
Miss TN Soybean Festival
• Queen: $1,500
• If UT Martin student:
• First runner-up: $500
$1,500
• Second runner-up: $200 • If non-UT Martin
student: $500
For more information, contact Hollie Holt, the pageant’s
executive director, at hholt@utm.edu or follow the pageant on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/missutm
“Questions and Answers”
about UT Martin
• Question – What is the procedure for making university
schedule-change announcements in the event of inclement
weather?
• Answer – Information at www.utm.edu/alerts/weather.php
summarizes how schedule-change announcements are made
when inclement weather necessitates changes in the university’s
schedule.
Many people are involved in making schedule-change
decisions. Also, weather and travel situations can change quickly.
Every effort is made to keep such announcements current on
the university’s home page, followed by the other notification
avenues noted at this link. Media announcements are sought
and appreciated, but there’s no guarantee as to the frequency of
those announcements – nor are media announcements always
current.
Note that operating schedules might be different for the main
campus and the four centers in Jackson, Parsons, Ripley and
Selmer. Weather conditions can vary around the region, so a
schedule change or closing announcement for one location
might not be the same for others. Unless power outages occur,
specific references to the main campus and centers will always
be made on the university’s home page at www.utm.edu.
Submit your questions to the Suggestion Box link at www.utm.edu.
STUDENTS HONORED WITH PAUL
AND MARTHA MEEK LEADERSHIP
AWARDS – Amy Belote, of Martin;
Constance Bonds, of Gates; and
Amber Thompson, of Arlington,
received Paul and Martha Meek
Leadership Awards during fall
commencement exercises Dec.
13. Pictured (l-r) are Dr. Margaret
Toston, vice chancellor for
student affairs, Belote, Bonds and
Thompson. Fall commencement
can be viewed online at www.
youtube.com/utmartin.
addenda
The University of Tennessee at Martin
Published weekly during the academic year and
biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin,
TN 38238
• Dr. Joseph DiPietro - President,
University of Tennessee System
• Dr. Thomas Rakes - Chancellor
•Bud Grimes - Addenda Editor
• Nathan Morgan - University
Photographer
UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section
504/ADA/ADEA employer. E05-0425-00-007-15