1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

News from Transy

Transylvania publications receive awards at CASE-KY conference

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Transylvania University admissions viewbook received the Grand Champion award for printed publications in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education–Kentucky annual awards ceremony December 10 in Louisville. Transylvania also received the Award of Excellence for the admissions travel brochure and Transylvania magazine and the Special Merit award for the parents fund brochure. The viewbook provides a comprehensive introduction to Transylvania for prospective students, and the travel brochure, which admissions counselors distribute at college fairs and other events, summarizes important points about the university. Transylvania magazine is produced three times a year and goes primarily to alumni and parents. The parents fund brochure helped the university raise a record number of gifts to support its library. The winning works were all produced in-house by the university’s publications staff: Martha Baker, director; William Bowden, writer/editor; Barbara Grinnell, graphic designer; and Tyler Young, editorial assistant. The concept for the parents fund brochure was originated by Lori Burlingham, assistant director of development, and Susie Bullock, development writer. “It was a thrill for our publications team to be recognized once again for their outstanding work,” said Sarah Emmons, Transylvania’s associate vice president of communications and public relations. “Transylvania has a long history of producing award-winning publications and I’m delighted that the tradition continues.”   The award winners were selected from a pool of entries from public and private colleges throughout the state. Transylvania, founded in 1780, is the nation’s sixteenth oldest institution

Read “Transylvania publications receive awards at CASE-KY conference”

Transylvania President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer receives Henry Clay Medallion

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

President Emeritus Charles Shearer, center, with Governor Steve Beshear, right, and George McGee as Henry Clay. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer was awarded the 2010 Henry Clay Medallion for Distinguished Service from the Henry Clay Society during a December 2 black tie dinner at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion. A committee of the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation selected Shearer for the honor in recognition of the achievements in his personal and public life that reflect Clay’s principals of statesmanship and compromise for the good of mankind. Shearer retired from the presidency of Transylvania in July 2010 after 27 years in that office, the longest such service in the 230-year history of Kentucky’s oldest college. His tenure saw substantial increases in the university’s enrollment and endowment, the addition of eight new buildings and two athletics fields and a rise in the rankings of national liberal arts colleges. “Whether it was his relationship with the chairman of the board and other trustees, or with faculty, staff and students, Charles’s use of diplomacy has always been most evident,” said Warren W. Rosenthal, a member of the Transylvania Board of Trustees, in introducing the honoree. “For 27 years President Shearer was highly respected, deeply appreciated and loved by all.” In accepting the award, Shearer noted the close relationship that Clay enjoyed with Transylvania in its formative years, serving as a professor in the university’s law school and remaining a trustee and friend

Read “Transylvania President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer receives Henry Clay Medallion”

Transylvania receives grant from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to fund educational programs for improving stormwater quality

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry presents Transylvania sustainability coordinator Angela Dossett with Transylvania’s grant for water quality education. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University was among the schools, businesses and neighborhood groups that received a grant to fund projects to improve stormwater quality in Lexington. Mayor Jim Newberry presented the grants at a news conference today. Transylvania received a $4,878.75 educational grant for a year-long campaign focused on informing the university community about water quality issues. The grant requires a 50 percent match from the university. The grant will be used for water quality monitoring and stream cleaning projects in the Town Branch watershed, interpretive signage at the university’s rain garden and other existing water quality facilities on campus, faculty/staff workshops and distribution of up to 25 rain barrels and 20 rain garden plant kits to faculty and staff who attend the workshops. “The stormwater incentive grant is an exciting opportunity to focus on our impact on local water quality, as a campus community and as individuals, helping to position Transy as a leader in watershed protection in the downtown community,” said Angela Dossett, sustainability coordinator. The Water Quality Fees Board selected 13 Class B grants, available to businesses and institutions, for funding this year through the water quality management fee. Seven grants involve installation of infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff and six, including Transylvania’s, were for the provision of educational programs. Fourteen Class A grants were also awarded to

Read “Transylvania receives grant from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to fund educational programs for improving stormwater quality”

Entrepreneur Hall of Fame recognizes three with Transylvania ties

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The inaugural class of the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame includes three men with close ties to Transylvania University. Created to celebrate Kentucky’s most successful entrepreneurs, the hall of fame recognizes financial achievement, innovation in products or services, job creation, contributions to specific industries and community involvement. Although Pearse Lyons, Warren W. Rosenthal and the late William T. Young earned their entrepreneurial stripes through markedly different careers, they are all either current or former members of the Transylvania Board of Trustees and have supported the university in a variety of other ways. “The remarkable professional success these men have attained gave them the means to also support higher education through their generous commitment of time and resources to this university,” said Transylvania President R. Owen Williams. “We salute them for this latest honor and renew our appreciation for what they have done for Transylvania.” Transylvania Trustee Pearse Lyons is the founder and president of Alltech, a leading animal health company that employs over 1,900 people in 91 countries. Begun in 1980, Alltech now has group sales approaching $400 million. The company was the primary corporate sponsor of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Lyons is responsible for creating the Alltech Lecture Series at Transylvania, which has brought key figures in science and industry to campus to discuss such diverse topics as renewable energy, biotechnology in relation to the aging process, Alzheimer’s disease and the effects of nutrition on

Read “Entrepreneur Hall of Fame recognizes three with Transylvania ties”

On heels of Quidditch World Cup in New York, Transylvania team to play two exhibition matches for the public

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—This past weekend, members of Transylvania’s traveling Quidditch team, the Transylvania Animagi, met up with 45 other intercollegiate Quidditch teams in New York City’s DeWitt Clinton Park to battle it out for the fourth annual World Cup title. The team will play two exhibition matches, free and open to the public, on Wednesday, November 17, at 6 p.m., and Sunday, November 21 at 3 p.m. Both games will take place on Transylvania’s Hall Field, at the corner of Third and Upper streets. The Animagi garnered attention at the World Cup for their enthusiasm and the Transylvania University name. Time.com’s Techland blog (http://techland.com/2010/11/13/quidditch-world-cup-diary-day-1) said the Transylvania team was “perhaps our favorite team” and Kevin Manno, cohost of MTV’s “The Seven,” played with the team in an impromptu scrimmage match that was filmed for the show. Participating teams came from colleges and universities all over North America and included Harvard, Yale, Middlebury, NYU, Boston University and Michigan State. Senior Kristin Grenier, who helped start Transylvania’s team, said she is continuing to receive emails from people across the country who want to purchase Transylvania Quidditch T-shirts. The T-shirts, screen-printed with a logo designed by first-year student Zachery Stanley, will be available for purchase at both exhibition matches. Proceeds will help the team repay a loan they received from the student activities fund to make their trip to the World Cup. For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120.