1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

News from Transy

Transylvania University unveils presidential portrait of Charles L. Shearer

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—A portrait of Transylvania President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer was unveiled during a reception for the Board of Trustees held at the home of President and Mrs. R. Owen Williams. Board chairman William T. Young Jr. presented the portrait on behalf of the university as a way of paying tribute to Shearer’s 27-year tenure (1983-2010) as president, a period that saw significant increases in enrollment, endowment, scholarships and campus buildings. “Charles Shearer was in office longer than any other Transylvania president and guided the university to some of its greatest achievements,” Young said. “It is with great affection and admiration that we commemorate his service to Transylvania through this striking portrait.” The painting was created by Robert Kuester, an award-winning artist who lives and paints in New Mexico. Kuester holds a degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. The oil-on-canvas portrait, done in a realistic style, measures 30 by 40 inches. “Robert did a very nice job of creating a warm, not overly serious likeness, and I especially like the attention to detail with things like my hands,” Shearer said. “I’m very honored and grateful for this portrait.” Leslie Baldwin, wife of Transylvania business administration professor Bill Baldwin and a sales associate for Kentucky with the international firm Portraits, Inc., facilitated the selection of Kuester from among the 175 portrait artists represented by the organization. Transylvania art professor Nancy Wolsk was a consultant for the

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Affrilachian poet Bianca Spriggs gives Transylvania graduates address to remember

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Poet Bianca Spriggs ’03 speaks to the Class of 2012. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University President R. Owen Williams conferred the Bachelor of Arts degree to 241 students Saturday in a commencement ceremony on the steps of historic Old Morrison. Bianca Spriggs, a renowned Affrilachian poet and 2003 Transylvania graduate, gave a unique commencement address in front of hundreds of spectators, presenting a poetry reading accompanied by graduating senior Caleb Ritchie on keyboard. Spriggs put out a call to seniors to submit responses to questions about their four years at Transylvania—what they would take with them to their careers and how they’ve grown as people. She used some of those responses in her presentation. Spriggs, a history major and studio art minor at Transylvania, is in the doctoral program for creative writing at the University of Kentucky and has had an active career including writing, teaching, performance art and filmmaking. She earned a master’s of arts in English composition/creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was named one of the Top 30 Performance Poets by TheRoot.com, a daily online magazine providing commentary on the news from black perspectives. She is recognized as a Cave Canem Fellow from the Brooklyn-based national writer’s center that focuses on African American poets and writers, and she is the creator of The Swallowtail Project, a traveling creative writing workshop designed for incarcerated women throughout Kentucky. Spriggs talked to the students about measuring time not in minutes

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Five Transylvania students awarded prestigious Transylvania Honors Scholarship

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Five current Transylvania University students have received Transylvania Honors Scholarships, which are awarded annually to rising senior students who have achieved outstanding academic records and have made significant service contributions to Transylvania. The scholarship covers tuition and the general fee. The recipients are chosen by a panel of faculty members who interview each applicant. “These are students whose academic and campus community accomplishments are impeccable,” said William F. Pollard, vice president and dean of the college. “Being named a Transylvania Honors Scholar is an extraordinary achievement given the credentials of the finalists, all of whom have outstanding records of academic success and of contributions to the life of the campus.” Molly Dean, a writing, rhetoric, and communications and Spanish language and literature double major, is from Louisville, Ky. Hannah Johnson, a political science major and Spanish and international affairs double minor, is from Lexington, Ky. Cameron Lindsey, an English major, is from Nicholasville, Ky. Jordan Rebsch, a business administration and psychology double major, is from Lexington, Ky. Alex Yaden, a teaching music major, is from Bardstown, Ky.

Transylvania attracts most academically talented, diverse entering class in its history

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University President R. Owen Williams announced today that the entering class for fall 2012 has set school records for geographic and racial/ethnic diversity and academic preparedness. The entering class of 333 includes 95 students from outside Kentucky—more than double last year’s number—who make up 29 percent of the class. The 40 students who identify themselves as a racial or ethnic minority comprise 12 percent of the group, while nine are international students from China, Mexico, Taiwan and Poland. Academically, the members of the class of 2016 attained an average ACT of 27, a middle 50 percent ACT range of 25-30 and an average GPA of 3.69. In addition, the class represents 21 states and includes 34 students who took part in either the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program or the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts. “The composition of this class is really something special and reflects our continuing emphasis on the quality and nature of our student body,” Williams said. “Having a good, strong number of 333 so far is good news for the university, but it’s also the type of student we are attracting that bodes well for Transylvania’s future.” Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Brad Goan said that the overall number of 333, which is the largest in the past five years, is expected to grow over the summer with the addition of transfer students and could become the largest incoming class in

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McComas to bike across country, build affordable housing

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kelsey McComas says she’s never been much of a biker. “But I’m learning to be,” she quickly adds. That’s a bit of an understatement. McComas, who will graduate from Transylvania University May 26, is scheduled to leave June 20 from Portsmouth, N.H., and spend the next 10 weeks biking 3,700 miles across country to Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s all for a good cause: Bike and Build, a non-profit that organizes trips in which groups of about 30 participants bike along eight cross-country routes and, along the way, build affordable housing for deserving citizens. Each rider must raise $4,500, and more than half of those funds go toward the building projects. “I’ve been active in community service since high school,” said McComas, an Ashland, Ky., native who volunteered at her community’s hospice, took a Transylvania service learning course in the Philippines and helped raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network. “I’m in a transitional stage of life right now—graduating from college and entering the real world. This is the perfect time to do something productive on my own, and I’m looking forward to seeing the immediate impact of our construction projects.” McComas started training for her ride in January, alternating between daily regimens of weight lifting and cardio. Once she raised $1,000, Bike and Build sent her a bike to use on the trip, and she started practicing on Lexington’s Legacy Trail. She says she’ll be ready when she gets to

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