1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

News from Transy

Recent Transylvania grad awarded prestigious scholarship to study archaeology

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Amber Noelle “Elle” Woolery, a recent graduate from Transylvania University, has been awarded the highly competitive Davies-Jackson Scholarship to study in the archaeology program at St. John’s College, Cambridge. The scholarship will cover her full fees, plus living expenses for two years as she studies for a Cambridge B.A.—the equivalent of a U.S. graduate degree. “I know that many students dream of educational opportunities such as this, so I’m honored and privileged to receive the Davies-Jackson Scholarship,” said Woolery, who is a preservation associate for the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation. “I’m truly grateful for the support of my family, professors and the Transylvania Study Abroad staff.” Woolery, who is from Lawrenceburg, graduated summa cum laude from Transylvania in December. As a Transylvania student, she gained practical experience through fieldwork, including an excavation at Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in Jessamine County. To qualify for a Davies-Jackson Scholarship, applicants must be a first-generation student with a minimum 3.7 GPA. Woolery was interviewed via Skype by a group of St. John’s tutors from the faculty in Human, Social, and Political Sciences and received recommendations from Transylvania professors. “It’s a great honor for Elle, and I’m very proud of her,” anthropology professor Chris Begley said. “She joins Transy students and students from our field schools studying maritime archaeology at Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, East Carolina University and Florida State University. I’m glad Elle is joining the growing list of Transylvania students making an impact

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Transylvania to open Confucius Classroom for Chinese studies

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has been selected to be the site of a Confucius Classroom to raise awareness and interest for Chinese language and culture. Through the program, Transylvania will be entitled to a start-up fund of $30,000 to buy tech equipment, books and digital teaching material on Chinese studies, and to set up an office space. The university also will be eligible for annual funds of $10,000 after the first year to promote the learning of Chinese language and other China studies both on campus and in the surrounding community. Also, Transylvania students could receive travel scholarships and internships in that country—including an opportunity to attend summer academic camps in China. “I am very excited about the Confucius Classroom, especially about all the great scholarship opportunities that the program is going to bring to Transy students for going to China, to study or engage in internship opportunities,” said Qian Gao, associate professor of Chinese language and culture. “And the Classroom entitles not only Chinese-learning students, but all Transy students to such great opportunities.” The Confucius Classroom—which will operate in conjunction with the University of Kentucky’s Confucius Institute—also will assist faculty members with opportunities to teach in China. The Classroom will be funded through Hanban, the Office of Chinese Language Council International. Transylvania will have an opening reception for the Classroom on Monday, Jan. 30, at 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of Old Morrison. The event will include Chinese music

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Major publisher to release anthology play by Transylvania students

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—More than a dozen student playwrights at Transylvania University will soon see an anthology of their work released by a major U.S. publisher and available for productions in English-speaking theaters around the world. Dramatic Publishing has announced plans to release “My #*%!^X%#! College Life,” co-created by Transylvania professor Michael Dixon and 2016 graduate Brooke Jennett, who recently won the 2016 Dramatists Guild of America Young Playwright Award. The play, which features 40 monologues along with a few choruses, is a humorous and heartbreaking look into the hearts and minds of today’s college students. It touches on a wide range of issues—including social justice, gender identity, relationship boundaries, future prospects and roommate etiquette. “Throughout this creative process, Brooke and I have wanted the play to address a broad range of concerns identified by college students today,” Dixon said. “This dramatic journey reveals the difficult choices and revelatory encounters that lead to what colleges call ‘personal transformation,’ which is generally beneficial but, as this material attests, it’s never easy to change at any age and the individual outcomes are absolutely unpredictable.” The dramatic monologues were written by 17 Transylvania students and a dozen other playwrights, mostly in MFA playwriting programs around the country, including Ohio University, University of Arizona and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The project has been in the works for two years and was originally conceived by Jon Jory, former producing artistic director at Actors Theatre of

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Transylvania to open two new residence halls this week

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University will open two new residence halls this week, capping off extensive residential life construction and renovation projects. In addition to the four-story, state-of-the-art Bassett and Pioneer halls, the university recently turned a large area in front of the new facilities into green space and opened a nearby pavilion and basketball and sand volleyball courts. “These improvements to our campus enhance the value of a Transylvania education,” President Seamus Carey said. “The new buildings are not only attractive living spaces, but they also provide a college experience that integrates living and learning. I’m especially excited about the classroom and collaborative learning areas in the new residence halls.” The new facilities, which will each house around 140 students, reflect the university’s traditional architecture. They are coed and feature lounges, laundry facilities and community kitchens. Each room has Tempur-Pedic mattresses and ceiling fans. The first two floors of Pioneer Hall will be home to members of Transylvania’s four fraternities. And Bassett Hall will offer suite-style living for upper-class students. Bassett is named after James E. “Ted” Bassett III, a lifetime member of Transylvania’s Board of Trustees. He contributed the project’s initial leadership gift. These additions complement a similar residence hall, Dalton-Voigt, which opened in fall of 2015 and houses sorority members on the first two floors. Nearby Thomson Hall opened in 2008. Most residents of Bassett and Pioneer halls will begin moving in Friday as they return for the beginning

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Kiplinger ranks Transylvania among top liberal arts schools for value

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LEXINGTON, Ky.— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has ranked Transylvania University as one of the nation’s best values for a liberal arts education. The magazine’s Best College Values of 2017 weighs both academic excellence and cost criteria—such as sticker price, financial aid and debt. This ranking, which was released Thursday, comes on the heels of several other recognitions for Transylvania, including a top-10 spot in USA Today/College Factual’s Best Colleges for the Money and Washington Monthly’s Best Bang for the Buck in the South. “Any way you look at it, Transylvania offers a top-notch liberal arts education at an affordable price,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for enrollment and student life. “We understand the challenges families face in paying for college, so we strive to give them the best possible return on investment.” In fact, Transylvania costs about $10,000 less than the average top-100 liberal arts college. Additionally, the average financial aid package for incoming students was $26,643 last year, and 98 percent of all students received aid that they didn’t have to pay back. This kind of assistance is why Transylvania ranks 60th among the nation’s liberal arts schools in Kiplinger’s Best College Values of 2017. “There’s no way around it: College is expensive, and it’s going to stay that way for a long time. So, with our rankings…our goal is to help students and their parents understand what’s really worth the price,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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