News from Transy

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University on May 23 graduated the first group of majors from its new neuroscience program. These students are poised to further their educations in graduate or professional school or join the workforce after taking an interdisciplinary approach to a range of scientific and philosophical issues—from artificial intelligence to how the brain functions and how it makes us who we are. Transylvania, which started the program in the fall of 2013, now has 35 neuroscience majors. Courses are as varied as Foundations of Computer Science, Behavioral Pharmacology and Music Cognition. The program allowed graduating senior Tiara Harris of Maysville to combine her three main areas of interest: biology, psychology and computer science. She said the major gave her a well-rounded perspective. “In my four years here, the liberal arts have taught me that there are many different viewpoints to solve a question,” she said. After graduation, Harris wants to focus on not only neuroscience but also education, possibly through Teach for America. She hopes to eventually land a job in the new field of neuroeducation. Senior Brooke Newman of Lexington said her neuroscience major provided an opportunity to learn the brain’s biology as well as understand, from a psychological standpoint, why we do what we do. “I’m also a psychology major, so the two played in very nicely to each other,” said Newman, who plans to apply to graduate programs in either neuroscience or clinical psychology. This year’s other

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LEXINGTON Ky.—Transylvania University will continue its commitment to foster interreligious dialog with the 2015 Moosnick Lectureship in Judaic Studies on Tuesday, April 28. Susannah Heschel, the Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will present “Scholarship and Ethics: How Do Jews and Christian Connect?” at 7 p.m. in Carrick Theater. “Susannah Heschel’s research exemplifies the mission of the Moosnick lectures, which are important for Lexington because they afford an opportunity for Jewish and Christian communities to intentionally engage topics of common interest,” Transylvania religion professor Paul Jones said. Heschel, who earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, has authored numerous books, including “The Aryan Jesus: Christian Theologians and the Bible in Nazi Germany” and “Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus.” She also holds a Guggenheim Fellowship and is writing a book about the history of European Jewish scholarship on Islam. Transylvania hosts the Moosnick Lectureship in partnership with the Lexington Theological Seminary. On Wednesday, April 29, Heschel will present “The Life and Legacy of Abraham Joshua Heschel: Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity” at the Ohavay Zion Synagogue. The 7 p.m. talk is about her late father, who was a well-known scholar and involved with the civil rights movement. Both lectures are free and open to the public. Carrick Theater is in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center, and free parking is available in an adjacent lot. Transylvania’s Moosnick Endowment sponsors the lectureship.

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Two current Transylvania students and one 2014 graduate have been awarded three of the 23 Alpha Lambda Delta Fellowships offered to the honor society’s 275 chapters nationwide. Seniors Nashwin Laungani, from Lexington, and Emily Martin, from Florence, Ky., as well as Raisa Tikhtman ’14, from Lexington, received the annual fellowships for the 2015-16 academic year. The awards offset the expense of pursuing a graduate or professional degree. Nashwin Laungani Raisa Tikhtman Emily Martin “One of our newest Alpha Lambda Delta chapters, chartered in 2009, has produced more scholarship and fellowship winners than any other chapter during its six year history,” said Glenda Earwood, executive director of National Alpha Lambda Delta. “With this year’s three winners, the number of ALD winners from Transylvania has reached 14. That’s amazing, and we are so proud of these students.” Professor Mike Nichols, who is the chapter adviser, also said he is proud of the recipients. “For the past two years we have received three graduate fellowships—more than any other chapter—and we are competing with major research universities. In addition to having wonderful students, I also credit our faculty for their encouragement and the thoughtful letters they write in support of our students.” For the 2015 competition, National Alpha Lambda Delta reviewed one of the most qualified applicant pools ever. Applicants were predominantly graduating seniors and came from a broad cross section of chapters. The national Fellowship Reader’s Committee, a group of volunteers from

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LEXINGTON Ky.—Transylvania University’s speech and debate team recently won major honors in both state and national competitions. Last month at the Pi Kappa Delta Nationals in Athens, Ohio, team member Taylor Deaton of Richmond placed fifth in the nation in extemporaneous speaking and won an All American award. Teammate Rebecca Radcliffe of Lawrenceburg was an All American finalist. Later in March at the Kentucky Forensics Association tournament—which the University of Kentucky hosted on Transylvania’s campus—Radcliffe and Deaton were state champions in parliamentary debate, and Deaton was state champion in extemporaneous speaking. Both competitors also received the prestigious Harlan Hamm Award. “Taylor and Rebecca are both incredibly deserving of this recognition,” coach Gary Deaton said. “They are both phenomenally successful competitors, tremendous leaders for our program and exceptional ambassadors for the speech and debate activity. They have led Transylvania through four of our most successful years. ”The Hamm Award recognizes those who represent the ideals of forensics competition. Harlan Hamm, who was a coach at Rowan County High School and Morehead State, was not only tremendously successful but also known throughout the state and national forensics community for his student-centered and ethical approach. Also at the KFA tournament, first-year student Riley Bresnahan of West Virginia won the state championship in IPDA debate. Another top award went to Transylvania alum Raven Mineo Webster, who is the school’s associate director of forensics. The KFA’s Student Organization recognized her as the Coach of the

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