November 2012

Transylvania University inducts 14 into Lampas Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa

Posted on November 30, 2012July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Thirteen Transylvania University students and university president R. Owen Williams were recently inducted into the Lampas Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, was founded in 1914 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., by fifteen students and faculty members. In the tradition of the idealism and leadership of George Washington and Robert E. Lee, the founders of ODK formulated the idea that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in college should be recognized. Students apply for ODK membership in their junior or senior year. Selection is based on academic ranking, extracurricular activities and leadership roles. New members are selected by current ODK members and must pass with a 75 percent approval rating. The new members are: President R. Owen Williams Junior Cody Steven Barnett of Viper, Ky. Senior Cassie Caudill of Henderson, Ky. Junior Abigail Elliston of Lexington, Ky. Junior Brianna Hill of Lexington, Ky. Junior Kristina B. Houchins of Winchester, Ky. Junior Brian Hudson of Shepherdsville, Ky. Junior Kelsey Michelle Meece of Somerset, Ky. Junior Melissa R. Moberg of Waxahachie, Texas Junior Emily Novak of Naperville, Ill. Junior Karl Alexander Schmitt of Fort Mitchell, Ky. Junior Maria Angela Starck of Louisville, Ky. Senior Caroline Tapscott of Franklin, Tenn. Junior Raisa Olivia Tikhtman of Lexington, Ky. Transylvania, founded in 1780, is the nation’s sixteenth oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently ranked in national publications as one of the top

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Modern drama set in the pop music scene opens Thursday, Nov. 29, at Transylvania

Posted on November 27, 2012July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Which comes first, love or trust? The lives of six characters in Transylvania University Theater’s production of “Trust” intersect romantically and platonically as the play attempts to answer this question. The no-holds-barred look into the world of fame, love, betrayal, and ultimately, trust, is set against the backdrop of the pop music scene and runs Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. in Transylvania’s Lucille C. Little Theater. Senior Laura Campbell, of Georgetown, Ky., makes her directorial debut with this Steven Dietz contemporary dramatic comedy. “It’s been a lot of work,” said Campbell, a theater major and music minor. “I’ve been living with this play for eight months, and it’s been an amazing experience to work with these talented actors and to tell this story. I wouldn’t want to finish my time at Transy any other way.” This modern drama blends love, lust, and lying into a whirlwind tour. “Trust” sketches out the bumps and grinds of modern relationships as Becca, engaged to pop idol Cody Brown, learns exactly what it means to be a rockstar’s girlfriend. At the same time, Cody discovers the dangerous lures of fame, while has-been Leah Barnett struggles to make a comeback and teach him a few things along the way. Stories collide, betrayals occur, and life moves on, as the word trust is called into question. Tickets are $10 and may be reserved by calling the

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Political science professor Jeff Freyman to present inaugural lecture in ‘Left of Center’ speaker series at Transylvania Nov. 29; free and open to the public

Posted on November 21, 2012July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Jeff Freyman, professor of political science and director of The Center for Liberal Education at Transylvania University, will present “The American Empire” in the Cowgill Center, room 102, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, is the first of the “Left of Center” speaker series sponsored by the Transylvania College Democrats. Freyman will discuss how the United States formed a world order after the Second World War, how it was similar to and different from previous imperial orders, how finance has been instrumental in securing global dominance and the consequences of the order on the 2008 financial crisis. His areas of research include globalization, comparative democratization, comparative political economy and Marxism. The speaker series was created to inform Transylvania students and members of the Lexington community on left leaning political views. “Not all points of view are represented fairly in our political system and oftentimes little can be accomplished if we all ‘toe the party line’ analytically,” said junior Michael Case, president of Transylvania College Democrats. “The series is open to speakers from a variety of ideological viewpoints ranging from the reform liberalism of the current Democratic Party platform to the far-left.”

Maurice Manning selected as judge for National Book Award poetry prize

Posted on November 13, 2012July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky—Maurice Manning, Transylvania University English professor and writer in residence, is one of the judges selecting the 2012 National Book Award poetry prize, presented by the National Book Foundation. The awards will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 14, in New York City. Other National Book Award prizes include fiction, non-fiction and young people’s literature. Manning, on a panel with four other judges, selected five finalists for the poetry prize from 181 submissions. They are: “Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations,” by David Ferry; “Heavenly Bodies,” by Cynthia Huntington; “Fast Animal,” by Tim Seibles, “Night of the Republic,” by Alan Shapiro; and “Meme,” by Susan Wheeler. On Tuesday, Nov. 13, finalists from all categories will give readings at The New School in New York City. Manning, who lives in Washington County, Ky., was named to Transylvania’s faculty in January and began teaching full time in September. He says he sees good writing coming from good thought, and that is what he hopes to teach his students. “There is a powerful connection between reading and thinking,” he said. “If a student learns how to read with depth and focus, then he or she will most likely start thinking that way, too. And then the student’s own writing will develop and mature.” Manning has published four books on poetry, including his most recent, “The Common Man,” which was one of three finalists for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. His first collection, “Lawrence Booth’s

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Transylvania University’s information technology department wins 2012 AIKCU Technology Award for best new campus application

Posted on November 6, 2012July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

Jason Whitaker, vice president for information technology LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s rollout of Ellucian’s Business Object Reporting Tool won the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities’ (AIKCU) 2012 Technology Award for Best New Campus Application System. The award is given to the university or college that has implemented a major new application or significantly enhanced an existing system that improves operational performance and/or service for all or part of its students, faculty and staff. Jason Whitaker, vice president for information technology, said that Ellucian’s Business Objects Reporting Tools give staff the ability to quickly build their own reports from the campus enterprise system without IT assistance. “The tools are easy to use with a drag and drop interface to build reports and add charts and graphs,” he said. “Users can even schedule reports to run automatically and be sent to their e-mail inbox. These tools have transformed how we access and use data to report and make decisions.” Whitaker said that while any user friendly reporting tool is a plus, his staff went the extra mile to make the rollout work for Transylvania users. “The IT staff met with each administrative office to introduce the software, provide training and help build some of the first reports. As users began building their own reports and learning the tools, IT followed up with advanced training and additional support.” An important part of the process was the IT staff helping to identify institutional

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