1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Transylvania receives $800,000 to help combine liberal arts, digital technology

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LEXINGTON, Ky.— Transylvania University is working to build a national reputation for applying digital technology to a liberal arts curriculum. The Bingham Fund for Excellence in Teaching at Transylvania University has awarded two grants totaling $800,000 as part of the Transylvania Initiative for Digital Technology, Research, and Creativity (DTRC). The Bingham Fund was established to promote excellence and dedication among the school’s faculty who demonstrate exceptional teaching qualities. The grants will fund the expansion of digital tools in classrooms and laboratories and will help train faculty and students to incorporate digital pedagogies into their courses and scholarly activities. In addition to financing travel to conferences and on-campus speakers, the funds will allow the university to hire a full-time digital content specialist with expertise in instructional technology. This initiative comes at an opportune time, as Transylvania prepares to open its Carpenter Academic Center. The classroom building will integrate cutting-edge technologies, such as Mondopad collaborative touchscreens. Professors Kerri Hauman and Tim Polashek (pictured) serve as co-directors of the Digital Liberal Arts Initiative, which received the DTRC grants. They are experts in digital education and extensively apply digital technology in their research and creative work. “Like any medium that has such a pervasive role in human affairs, modern technology needs to be understood from many different perspectives,” said Transylvania President Seamus Carey. “Providing such perspective is one of the great benefits of liberal education.”

Transylvania Athletics inducts five standouts into Hall of Fame

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University on Saturday inducted five of the school’s former athletes into the Pioneer Hall of Fame. These standouts—Billy Bradford, Brian Macy, Lee Morrison, Ashley Sanders and Greg White—were honored during a banquet and ceremony at the Clive M. Beck Center. “All five embody the spirit of what it means to be a Transylvania Pioneer Hall-of-Famer,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for enrollment and student life and director of athletics. “They all had a tremendous impact upon their Transylvania community during their time as undergraduates and continue to represent Transylvania in their lives as stellar ambassadors.” Bradford, who graduated in 2002, competed as a diver for the Transylvania swimming and diving team for four seasons, going on to qualify for the 1999 NAIA National Championships where he finished as the national runner-up in the 1-meter diving event. Bradford appeared in two NAIA National Championships (1999, 2001) and was undefeated in conference championship meets. He then served as the diving coach at Transylvania from 2003 until 2009. Macy ’00 excelled in two sports during his time at Transylvania. He was a foundational member of the revived baseball program, playing from 1997 through 2000. As a junior, Macy set the Transylvania single-season record for strikeouts in a season with 70. In his senior season, he commanded a 10-5 record and compiled a team-best 3.53 ERA. In four years at Transylvania, Macy collected 270 career strikeouts. He also competed for the Transylvania

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Transylvania to host renowned scholar Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—This year’s Moosnick Lectureship in Judaic Studies will feature renowned scholar Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi at Transylvania University on Nov. 1. She will address one of the most pressing issues of our times: “Jewish, Christian, Muslim Hope: Why We Need Each Other Now.” The talk will be at 7 p.m. in Carrick Theater. Rabbi Sabath serves the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion as President’s Scholar and as the national director of recruitment and admissions. She also has served as vice president of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, where she was a faculty member for more than a decade. She has co-authored two books, writes a monthly column in the Jerusalem Post and contributes to The Times of Israel, The Huffington Post and other publications. The following evening (Nov. 2) at 7 p.m., Rabbi Sabath will present “The Urgency of Leadership: The Unique Leadership Challenges Facing Millennials and Gen Zers (and What It Means for the Rest of Us)” at Temple Adath Israel in Lexington. Both lectures are free and open to the public. Rabbi Sabath’s visit is co-sponsored by Transylvania and the Lexington Theological Seminary.

Morlan Gallery exhibition explores maps as art

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Maps have always been about art, and starting Thursday, Oct. 26, they’ll be showcased in a Morlan Gallery exhibition at Transylvania University.  “MAP/PING” will feature 12 U.S. artists who explore social mapping, culturally expanded notions of maps—and what happens when one discipline uses the language of another to consider time, place and behavior. The show will run through Dec. 5. The artists will present work in a variety of media—from embroidery, to light, to prints of personality portraits taken from online dating data. “MAP/PING” features the work of Jessica Breen, Susanna Crum, R. Luke DuBois, Luke Gnadinger, Valerie S.Goodwin, Colleen Toutant Merrill, Jenny Odell, Joyce Ogden, Jackie Pancari, Fred Tschida, Clement Valla and James Wade. The opening reception for the artists will be Friday, Oct. 27, from 5-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The Morlan Gallery’s regular hours are noon to 5 p.m. weekdays.  For more information, contact Gallery Director Andrea Fisher at (859) 233-8142   Special Events and Hours Opening Reception with the Artists: Friday, Oct. 27, 5-8 p.m.Lexington Gallery Hop: Friday, Nov. 17, 5-8 p.m.Weekend Hours: Sunday, Nov. 12, 2-3 p.m. Evening Hours: Saturday, Nov. 18, 5-8 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 20, 5-8 p.m.

Transylvania to scare up biggest-ever PumpkinMania on Oct. 24

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 LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s PumpkinMania will be re-“vamped” this year because of the event’s increasing popularity. This Lexington Halloween tradition will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 24, when the university lights hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns on the steps of historic Old Morrison off West Third Street. The community is invited to attend this event, which will feature: •6-7 p.m. trick-or-treating, music, food trucks•7 p.m. jack-o’-lantern lighting Free, nearby parking will be available for the event. “We’re really excited about the changes we are making for this year,” said Michele Gaither Sparks, vice president for marketing and communications. “This will be our biggest PumpkinMania ever. We are closing off Third Street in front of the university, creating a larger trick-or-treat area, and bringing in food vendors and live music. Much of this year’s expansion is made possible by community partners such as our lead inaugural sponsor, White, Greer & Maggard Orthodontics.” Transylvania also will host a public pumpkin carving all day Sunday, Oct. 22, in Back Circle off Fourth Street. The Lexington community can still enjoy PumpkinMania after Tuesday’s lighting. The jack-o’-lanterns will be glowing each night through Halloween. “What better place to celebrate Halloween than Transylvania University?” Sparks said.