1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Alumni

Four Transylvanians earn Fulbright grants to teach in Asia

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Three graduating Transylvania University seniors and one alumna will travel to Asia in the fall to teach English through grants from the highly competitive Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program. Thomas Amburn from Fisherville, Ky., will travel to Thailand; Courtney Marshall from Louisville will go to Malaysia; Rachel Smith from Mayfield, Ky., will head to South Korea; and 2013 graduate Leslie Bartley from Bardstown, Ky., will be in India. All four of the recipients spent time abroad during their Transylvania careers studying and tutoring. They were chosen in part because of their extensive community service and campus leadership. They will teach English for the 2015-16 academic year. The Fulbright program, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, was established in 1946 by legislation introduced by Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Its purpose is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries. More than 1,900 U.S. citizens will travel abroad for the 2015-16 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. Fulbright recipients Amburn participated the TUTORS (Transylvania University Tutoring Organization for Refugee Students) program and volunteered as an English conversation tutor in China, Hong Kong and Cambodia during the summers. He plans to attend medical school and eventually train aspiring physicians in rural Southeast Asia. Ambrun

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Transylvania alumni to transform campus plaza, create scholarship fund

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University alumni have united to renovate a gathering place in the heart of the campus—and provide funding for legacy scholarships while they’re at it. To raise money for the Alumni Plaza project, graduates of the university are asking donors to have their name—or the name of someone they’d like to honor—engraved on a brick that will be placed in the busy meeting area behind historic Old Morrison. “Our plan is to transform Haupt Plaza into a true campus center—a place of pride and beauty for all of the Transylvania community past, present, and future,” according to alumni representatives. “Hand-in-hand with this bricks-and-mortar component is the effort to create a new scholarship fund for legacy students to ensure that the campus will persist with new generations of Pioneers. We look forward to creating an inspiring and functional outdoor gathering space for future Transylvania students to enjoy.” The goal for the Alumni Plaza Brick Project is to raise at least $250,000 for the renovation, which also will include new trees, seating, and an outdoor classroom with Wi-Fi capability. The Transylvania Alumni Board and the Transylvania University Young Alumni Council already have received almost $135,000 in pledges. These tax-deductible donations are an opportunity for the Transylvania community and friends to not only leave a mark on an institution that has been around for more than 230 years but also help shape the future through the scholarship fund. For more information, contact

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Transylvania alums honored by Fayette County Bar Association

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Three Transylvania University alumni, Mindy Barfield ’85, Carl Frazier ‘04 and Palmer Gene Vance II ’87, were recognized May 1 by the Fayette County (Ky.) Bar Association (FCBA) at its 2013 Law Day Celebration. Barfield, a partner in the litigation department at Dinsmore and Shohl, received the Citizen Lawyer Award, which honors one member of the FCBA who has practiced at least 10 years in Fayette County; provides duties as an office of the court, fiduciary and advocate of clients; is involved in governmental, civic, charitable or community activities; and has demonstrated a sincere desire to maintain and improve the administration of justice, the quality of legal practice and the quality of life for all residents of Fayette County. Barfield practices in the area of complex commercial litigation, with a focus on defending businesses in contract-related and business torts litigation; litigation of coal-related disputes and complex insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. She is a past president of the FCBA and received the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 1999. She is a member of the Transylvania Board of Trustees. Frazier, an associate at Stoll Keenon Ogden, received the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The award honors one member of the FCBA who has practiced in Fayette County for less than 10 years; demonstrated promise in learning the practical application of law to human problems; admirably fulfilled the duties owed by an attorney to the court, clients and the community; and

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Transylvania wins AIKCU’s annual “Battle of the Bumpers” contest for fifth year running

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—With the help of alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends, Transylvania University is once again the winner in the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) “Battle of the Bumpers.” Transylvania beat out the other 19 AIKCU campuses to put the most campus license plates on Kentucky highways and the most dollars in the school’s general scholarship fund. Transylvania’s efforts helped increase their total sales to 901 in 2012, an increase of 49 license plates over 2011. Ten dollars from the sale of each plate is returned directly to the school’s general scholarship fund, translating into $9,010 for student scholarships at Transylvania. Overall, sales of Kentucky Independent Higher Education plates raised more than $47,900 for student scholarships in 2012. “In the last two years, we’ve increased our license plate sales and renewals by 36 percent,” said John Davis, director of annual giving. “Even though I’m thrilled about this accomplishment, the students are the ultimate winners. Thank you to all of our alumni and friends for their generous support.” The Kentucky Independent Higher Education series plates took to the roads in 2002. Each independent college and university had its own plate, but they all shared a common design theme. Thanks to advances in license plate printing technology and some changes in state regulations, AIKCU members were able to work with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to redesign their plates in late 2007. The new plates went on sale in

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