1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Transylvania’s admissions and scholarship deadline extended to February 9

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Due to the inclement weather, school cancelations and power outages across Kentucky, we have extended our February 1 regular admission deadline to Monday, February 9. This new deadline is also the deadline for application for academic scholarships. Governor’s Scholars and Governor’s School for the Arts participants should submit their applications by February 9 in order to be eligible for GSP or GSA scholarships. This deadline also applies to students interested in music or studio art scholarships. To submit your application, go to our on-line application or visit the Common Application Web site.  If you have any questions about the deadline extension or the application process, please call the Transylvania University admissions office at (800) 872-6798 or (859) 233-8242 or contact your admissions counselor.

Transylvania receives $2.9 million gift from 1937 graduate; second largest estate gift in school’s history

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has received a $2.9 million bequest from the estate of Margaret J. Lewis. This is the second largest estate gift in Transylvania’s history. The late Mrs. Lewis received her bachelor’s degree from Transylvania in 1937, with an English major and French and biology minors. “Mrs. Lewis cared deeply about Transylvania and her wish was to establish a professorship or a named scholarship,” said President Charles L. Shearer. “Raising funds to support student scholarships and faculty endowed chairs are both goals of our 225th Anniversary Campaign. We will consider several options before deciding how to best honor Margaret’s memory and wishes.”   Mrs. Lewis grew up outside Chicago and moved to South Carrollton, Ky., as she was entering high school. Richard Valentine, vice president for alumni and development, said that Mrs. Lewis met her husband, Ed, during a trip to Europe following her graduation from Transy. “Mr. Lewis spent the majority of his career teaching at the University of Illinois, and their nearly $6 million estate was split between Transylvania and the University of Illinois,” said Valentine. After retirement, the Lewises lived in Laguna Beach, Calif., for over 30 years. “We are pleased that Mrs. Lewis’s Transylvania education meant so much to her and are grateful that more than 70 years after she graduated, she will have such a positive impact on her alma mater,” Valentine said.

“An Evening at the Cabaret: When I Was a Kid” opens at Transylvania Saturday, Jan. 30, for a two-night run

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s vocal ensembles will present “An Evening at the Cabaret: When I Was a Kid,” on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30 and 31, at 7:30 p.m. in Carrick Theater.  Tickets are $10. “An Evening at the Cabaret,” featuring the Transylvania Choir, the Transylvania Singers, the Pioneer Voices, Transy Boys A Capella and several soloists, will include a variety of children’s songs spanning multiple decades and styles. Some of the show’s numbers are a “Schoolhouse Rock” medley, “A Whole New World,” from the Disney movie “Aladdin” and television show theme songs from the ‘90s, including “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” and “Gullah Gullah Island.” For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120 or the fine arts office at (859) 233-8141.

Transylvania University names Marc Mathews vice president for finance and business

LEXINGTON. Ky.—Transylvania President Charles L. Shearer announced today that Marc A. Mathews will join the University February 23 as vice president for finance and business. He succeeds Jerry Ray, who has been chief financial officer for 25 years and will continue in a part-time advisory capacity for several months to assure continuity and a smooth transition of leadership. Mathews brings 28 years of experience in accounting and financial management, most recently at the University of Kentucky, where he has been treasurer since January 2008, and was controller from 2004-08 and senior associate controller from 1998-2004. He previously worked in auditing and financial management at PricewaterhouseCoopers; Ross, Sinclaire & Associates; Century Offshore Management; and Coopers & Lybrand. As vice president for finance and business, Mathews will serve as chief financial officer and will oversee the operation of the physical plant and the offices of finance and accounting, information technology, campus safety, purchasing, telecommunications, human resources, and financial aid, as well as all contracted services such as the bookstore and food service. Mathews is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. He has been active in community organizations including the United Way, the International Book Project, and Volunteer Center of the Bluegrass. He is national treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honorary. Mathews is a 1980 Transylvania graduate and a former member of its Alumni Executive Board. He

Writer, activist and prominent cultural critic Todd Gitlin will give a public lecture at Transylvania Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Todd Gitlin, well-known political writer, novelist, cultural commentator and professor at Columbia University, will speak at Transylvania Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the William T. Young Campus Center. Gitlin’s lecture, “The Future of Enlightenment,” is sponsored by the Center for Liberal Education at Transylvania University and is free and open to the public. Gitlin, one of the nation’s leading thinkers about the media, has degrees in three different subjects: mathematics (B.A., Harvard), political science (M.A., Michigan) and sociology (Ph.D., Berkeley). He has written widely on the mass media and cultural politics in America. In the 1960s, he was president of Students for a Democratic Society, organizing the first national demonstration against the Vietnam War and the first civil disobedience directed against American corporate support for the apartheid regime in South Africa.   A prolific writer, Gitlin is the author of 12 books including The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage; The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars; Letters to a Young Activist; and The Intellectuals and the Flag. He has contributed to numerous scholarly journals and general interest periodicals such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Nation and Harper’s Magazine. He is on the editorial board of Dissent, a contributing writer to Mother Jones, a member of the board of trustees of opendemocracy.net and is frequently on-line at tpmcafe.com and cjr.org. Gitlin is often on National