News from Transy

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s Community Engagement Through the Arts class will collaborate with local elementary schools and community heroes for Superhero Day on Monday, April 18. The event, which will be from 10 a.m. until noon in the Clive M. Beck Athletic and Recreation Center, will empower children to think of themselves as superheroes through activities such as games, art, a photo booth, robots, drones, free books—and capes custom-designed by the elementary school participants and CETA students. “We wanted to do something we have never done before: bring together all the kids we have worked with and make a really fun experience for them that also has educational elements,” said English professor Kremena Todorova, who co-teaches CETA. “Because they share a neighborhood, we want these children to also share a morning together.” This event—for students from Arlington and William Wells Brown elementary schools and Sayre School—is part of Transylvania’s Project One diversity and inclusion initiative. “The best part so far was seeing the incredible enthusiasm and creativity of the students at William Wells Brown when they were making their own cape designs,” Transylvania junior Elly Maddy said. Other Superhero Day activities will include a superhero play by Transylvania theater students, a performance by the university’s cheerleading and dance teams and demonstrations by the Lexington police and fire departments. “It’s exciting to invite all of the children we have worked with to campus,” said art professor Kurt Gohde, the other co-teacher of CETA. “It’s

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LEXINGTON Ky.—Transylvania University students, who lead the nation in the number of Alpha Lambda Delta graduate fellowships, received three more this month. With 280 chapters nationwide, the honor society awards 24 of the competitive fellowships each year for students to pursue postgraduate studies. The most recent Transylvania recipients are seniors: Malory Thelen of Edgewood, Ky., who was awarded the $5,000 Dorothy Anderson Graduate Fellowship; Anna Balassa of Louisville, Ky., who won the $3,000 Adele Hagner Stamp Graduate Fellowship; and Kaitlin Haggard of Florence, Ky., who received the $3,000 Christine Conaway Graduate Fellowship. This is the third consecutive year Transylvania students have been awarded three ALD fellowships, bringing the total to 17. ALD Executive Director Eileen Merberg congratulated the three seniors. “Applicants were strong in both the number of honors received and participation in quality activities, so this is a true testament to the excellence of the Transy recipients.” Transylvania professor Mike Nichols, who is the chapter adviser, also praised their achievements. “This is an incredibly competitive program,” he said. “This is testimony not only about the quality of our students but also to the thoughtful letters of recommendation our faculty write.” These fellowships will help the students achieve their career goals. Thelen plans to pursue an advanced law degree; Balassa will work toward an occupational therapy degree; and Haggard will continue to study clinical psychology. In addition to these fellowships, Transylvania sophomore Megan Wasson of Winchester, Ky., received an ALD James Stemler

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