1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Transylvania’s admissions and scholarship deadline extended to February 9

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Due to the inclement weather, school cancelations and power outages across Kentucky, we have extended our February 1 regular admission deadline to Monday, February 9. This new deadline is also the deadline for application for academic scholarships. Governor’s Scholars and Governor’s School for the Arts participants should submit their applications by February 9 in order to be eligible for GSP or GSA scholarships. This deadline also applies to students interested in music or studio art scholarships. To submit your application, go to our on-line application or visit the Common Application Web site.  If you have any questions about the deadline extension or the application process, please call the Transylvania University admissions office at (800) 872-6798 or (859) 233-8242 or contact your admissions counselor.

Transylvania receives $2.9 million gift from 1937 graduate; second largest estate gift in school’s history

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has received a $2.9 million bequest from the estate of Margaret J. Lewis. This is the second largest estate gift in Transylvania’s history. The late Mrs. Lewis received her bachelor’s degree from Transylvania in 1937, with an English major and French and biology minors. “Mrs. Lewis cared deeply about Transylvania and her wish was to establish a professorship or a named scholarship,” said President Charles L. Shearer. “Raising funds to support student scholarships and faculty endowed chairs are both goals of our 225th Anniversary Campaign. We will consider several options before deciding how to best honor Margaret’s memory and wishes.”   Mrs. Lewis grew up outside Chicago and moved to South Carrollton, Ky., as she was entering high school. Richard Valentine, vice president for alumni and development, said that Mrs. Lewis met her husband, Ed, during a trip to Europe following her graduation from Transy. “Mr. Lewis spent the majority of his career teaching at the University of Illinois, and their nearly $6 million estate was split between Transylvania and the University of Illinois,” said Valentine. After retirement, the Lewises lived in Laguna Beach, Calif., for over 30 years. “We are pleased that Mrs. Lewis’s Transylvania education meant so much to her and are grateful that more than 70 years after she graduated, she will have such a positive impact on her alma mater,” Valentine said.

Transylvania University invites high school juniors and seniors to Winter Visit Day

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University will host a visit day for high school seniors and their families Saturday, January 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Clive M. Beck Athletic Center. The Winter Visit Day schedule includes a welcome with President Charles L. Shearer, faculty presentations, an academic information fair, campus and residence hall tours, a student panel discussion and a complimentary lunch. Students and their parents will have the opportunity to talk with faculty members and current students about all aspects of life at Transylvania. If you have questions regarding Transylvania’s Winter Visit Day or if you wish to register for the event, call the admissions office at (800) 872-6798 or (859) 233-8242, or visit www.transy.edu/admissions.

Transylvania University publications receive awards in three categories of annual CASE competition

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University received awards in three categories of the annual competition sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education-Kentucky. The awards were presented during the organization’s conference Dec. 11 in Louisville. Transylvania’s admissions viewbook received the top honor, a Grand Award, and the university’s magazine, Transylvania, received an Award of Excellence. An Award of Special Merit went to Transylvania Treasures, a publication that highlights items in the university’s Special Collections and Moosnick Medical and Science Museum. The publications are the work of Martha Baker, publications director; William Bowden, writer/editor; Barbara Grinnell, graphic designer; and Lori-Lyn Hurley, editorial assistant. Transylvania Treasures is designed by Carin Lovell of By Design, Lexington. The award winners were chosen from 130 entries submitted by 16 educational institutions throughout Kentucky. Transylvania, founded in 1780, is the nation’s sixteenth oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently ranked in national publications as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Transy student plays unique role at U.N. climate talks in Poland; youth delegation challenges leaders

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania senior Marcie Smith, of Richmond, has been playing a particularly unique role at the U.N. Climate Change negotiations in Poznan, Poland. The two-week conference is wrapping up this week as world leaders try to make headway on a global climate agreement to be completed in Copenhagen, Denmark, next December. Smith is one of 20 youth delegates from the U.S. to attend the talks and be part of an international youth delegation of over 500 from 54 countries, sponsored by SustainUS. Smith is one of the group’s deforestation policy experts, and gave a speech to the final U.N. session on deforestation policy. Because of her expertise, she has also been in consultation with other countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo was not able to send enough delegates to Poland to keep up with the workload, so Smith has been serving as their eyes and ears at meetings they have not been able to attend. She has assisted with policy statements to increase the capacity of the African country that is one of the most important players in a global deal on deforestation. Frustrated by the lack of progress at the U.N. climate meetings, Smith and the rest of the international youth are taking the process into their own hands. They are demanding that the outcome of the talks be anchored by a survival principle that any global climate treaty must safeguard the survival of all countries and peoples. Their