1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

News from Transy

Transylvania adds faculty members for new academic year

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Four new full-time faculty members will join Transylvania University for the start of the 2018-19 academic year on Sept. 4. The three professors and endowed chair will contribute to the university’s centuries-old tradition of excellence in teaching through their fields of theater, music, education and exercise science. “We are excited to welcome these four faculty members to campus as we embark on a new academic year,” said Laura Bryan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university. “They bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm that will enrich the learning environment here at Transylvania.” The new faculty members include Tosha Fowler, who is Transylvania’s Lucille C. Little Chair of Theater and the director of the Theater Program. An educator, director and actor, she spent the past 11 years in Chicago’s thriving arts scene. Fowler is the founding executive artistic director of that city’s Cor Theatre. She also taught at The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she received an MFA in acting. Her other experience includes serving as an instructor of drama workshops for Urban Hope, a program for inner-city youths in Savannah, Georgia. Most recently, Fowler was a visiting professor for the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University. Also joining Transylvania’s Division of Fine Arts this fall is Regan MacNay, who is the university’s new assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts in choral

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More than 300 students welcomed as Class of 2022 arrives at Transylvania University

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University will welcome students from across Kentucky, the nation and the world when more than 300 new Pioneers move in Friday. Kentucky students make up a majority of the incoming class, with nearly 80 percent coming from the Commonwealth. Students from Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan make up another 13 percent of the first-year class, with 10 other states also represented. They are joined by international students from Albania, Australia and Estonia.  Almost 18 percent of first-year students are first-generation college students. Twenty percent of the incoming Class of 2022 are students of color, making this class the most diverse ever to enroll at Transylvania. This is the result of a sustained effort by the university to diversify its student body and foster an inclusive campus environment. “We’re excited to welcome our new class and guide them through the transformative education for which Transylvania is well known. They will be introduced to new ideas and perspectives that will give them the freedom to choose their most desired paths which, after all, lies at the heart of our liberal arts mission,” President Seamus Carey said. “The college years are an opportunity for dialogue and interpersonal interactions that help our students lead more fulfilling lives and develop the skills necessary to succeed in the modern workplace.” The Class of 2022 has already demonstrated its success in academics. At Transylvania, they’ll have the choice of 46 majors and pre-professional

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State-of-the-art technology enhances safety of Transylvania’s North Broadway crosswalk

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Partnering with the state, Transylvania University is improving campus safety through the addition of state-of-the-art technology and major renovations to campus grounds. The North Broadway crosswalk between Third and Fourth streets has been equipped with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, which feature motion sensors that activate multiple flashing lights when pedestrians approach. The signals are especially helpful at dusk and night when motorists may have a difficult time seeing pedestrians. “These crosswalk improvements will enhance the safety not only of our students, faculty and staff, but also of motorists traveling along North Broadway,” President Seamus Carey said. “We appreciate the state Transportation Cabinet’s assistance in making these upgrades a reality.” The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet manages improvements to North Broadway, which is U.S. Route 27/68 through Lexington. The university, along with local and state transportation officials, explored numerous alternatives before deciding on the beacons. The solar-powered devices are similar to ones installed a few years ago in front of the Transportation Cabinet building in Frankfort. Additional safety enhancements to the Transylvania crosswalk include reducing the width of the crossing to a standard size, reconfiguring the sidewalks on both sides of Broadway to direct pedestrians to use the crosswalk and new signage. Also, the university is permanently closing a semicircular roadway and parking lot in front of the newly-renovated Carpenter Academic Center, formerly the Haupt Humanities building. Transylvania will install brick pavers in front of Carpenter to create a walkway, which will still

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Transylvania recognizes area first responders at annual luncheon

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Transylvania University recognized local first responders today as part of an ongoing effort to foster a safe campus by strengthening community partnerships. Transy’s Campus Emergency Response Team’s annual luncheon was a chance for the Transylvania community to meet with public safety officials, express their gratitude and discuss initiatives that mutually benefit the campus and Lexington community. “We hope this event will help to further develop Transylvania’s professional working relationship with local emergency personnel in preparedness for any event,” said Gregg Muravchick, Transylvania’s director of public safety. This past year the university collaborated with local agencies for a wide range of activities—from the recent investiture ceremony of a federal judge on campus to participating in the Special Olympics to offering self-defense classes presented by UK’s S.T.A.R.R. program. Community partners attending today’s event included the Lexington Police and Fire departments, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, University of Kentucky Police Department and the FBI. “As a group, we like to review any incidents that have occurred during the past year, not only as a debriefing, but as a learning opportunity,” Muravchick said. “We also explore the community issues our Transylvania public safety officers need to be aware of so we can provide a safer campus environment and offer assistance to the larger community.” In addition to strengthening ties with the surrounding community, officers in Transylvania’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) regularly attend emergency and professional training, receive medical assistance certification and have implemented an

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French major to biotech CEO

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David Hysong ’09 David Hysong ’09 has always lived large and largely for others. He could easily be the inspiration for a liberal arts action figure, a cerebral MacGyver with entrepreneurial gifts, a strong faith and a desire to put himself on the line for others.  Hysong has worked undercover in Cambodia to fight human trafficking. He founded an NGO to help refugee children. After being hit by a 12-ton bus, he managed to walk again, attend Harvard Divinity School and was selected for Navy SEAL training. In the past two years Hysong has become founder, CEO and patient of Shepherd Therapeutics, a biotech company with offices in Nashville and Boston, created to find cures for rare forms of cancer. Diagnosed with a head and neck cancer that has no targeted therapy, Hysong quickly assessed the limitations within the existing oncological landscape. He traded special operations in the military for a different kind of warfare. The 250 forms of “rare” cancer actually comprise 42 percent of all cancer diagnoses, Hysong notes. Together, they are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Even so, the pharmaceutical industry neglects rare cancers in order to invest in fewer therapies affecting larger numbers of patients. Hysong could see the life-saving opportunities being missed. He created Shepherd Therapeutics to revolutionize how rare cancers are treated and the ecosystem around them. Operating with low overhead and a big-picture idea that connects existing resources, Shepherd Therapeutics

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