1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

News from Transy

Transylvania climbs 11 spots in U.S. News & World Report national ranking

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University moved up 11 places this year in the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings released today. The university rated 76th among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges. Transylvania also placed 60th in the list of Best Value Colleges, which is based on factors such as price, quality of the program, average discount and number of students receiving need-based scholarships. “If you look at the criteria that U.S. News & World Report uses to rank colleges, Transylvania performs very well across the board,” said Rhyan Conyers, the university’s vice president of institutional effectiveness. “We are recognized as an affordable institution with an excellent reputation.” When ranking Transylvania, U.S. News considered the university’s small class sizes—78 percent have fewer than 20 students—and the fact that 95 percent of faculty have the highest degrees in their fields.  Other factors include Transylvania’s high 75-percent graduation rate, student selectivity and retention, the amount spent on instruction and other student services, and alumni giving rate.  Transylvania, in the heart of downtown Lexington, is one of only nine schools in the U.S. News top-100 liberal arts colleges in a city with a population of more than 300,000.  The U.S. News ranking comes on the heels of Transylvania’s inclusion in Princeton Review’s “The Best 384 Colleges: 2019 Edition,” which recognized the school in specific categories such as Colleges That Pay You Back—showcasing affordability and career outcomes for graduates—and in College City Gets High Marks, for the

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Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery season opens with ‘Lake Effect’ exhibition

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LEXINGTON, Ky.⎯Transylvania University’s Morlan Gallery will open its 2018-19 season with “Lake Effect,” an exhibition that has strong ties to the Windy City. Running Sept. 10 through Oct. 18, the free show is part of Transylvania’s New Frontiers feature event series, which asks the public to go beyond the familiar and explore ideas, art and music. “Lake Effect” is facilitated by 1992 Transylvania graduate Trevor Martin, executive director of exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It features four artists connected to that city: Claire Ashley, Susanna Coffey, Jaclyn Mednicov and Maryam Taghavi. Through painting, sculpture, installation and video, their pieces will celebrate color, texture and repetition. “It’s an honor to feature works by these talented artists associated with Chicago, a city that has made broad contributions to the world of art—not only regionally but internationally,” Morlan Gallery Director Andrea Fisher said. “We’re especially excited to have a Transylvania graduate curate this season-opening exhibition.” Martin will discuss the works in “Lake Effect” on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. Laura Bryan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university, will host a reception following the talk.   Other special events and hours • Lexington Gallery Hop Reception | Friday, Sept. 21, 5-8 p.m. • Art Talk with Claire Ashley and Jaclyn Mednicov | Thursday, Oct. 18, 6 p.m. followed by a closing reception • Evening Hours | Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6:30-7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

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Transylvania University announces 2018-2019 feature event series New Frontiers

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This year, the public is invited to go beyond the familiar and explore ideas, art and music with a new feature event series hosted on the campus of Transylvania University.  The New Frontiers 2018-2019 season focuses on the university’s year-long campus theme—civility—and the debate over its role in shaping citizens and communities.   Through presentations from such innovators as author Sir Salman Rushdie, digital creator Dylan Marron and data visualization artists Hasan Elahi and Laurie Frick, New Frontiers embraces multiple disciplines, backgrounds and perspectives in a process that is vastly challenging, entertaining and, ultimately, transformative.  “In a world that is at once fragile, unyielding, complex and searching for direction, Transylvania’s New Frontiers season draws on the arts, humanities and sciences to explore who we are as humans and how we relate,” President Seamus Carey said. Events in the New Frontiers series are free and open to the public. Some events require reservations.  New Frontiers season highlights include signature performances and lectures, as well as selected events from the Transylvania Creative Intelligence Series, including: “Considering Matthew Shepard,” a choral drama featuring the Grammy-winning Conspirare on Oct. 9  James Mustich, author of “1000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List” on Oct. 18 “Data, Mine” art talk and exhibition with Hasan Elahi and Laurie Frick on Jan. 24 Shaun Leonardo, an award-winning artist who uses performance practice to unravel the complexities of human interaction on Feb. 27 Sir Salman Rushdie,

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Transylvania adds faculty members for new academic year

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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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