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Leading Jewish-Muslim authority to speak at Transylvania University

Posted on November 9, 2016July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Reuven Firestone, who is a leading national authority on Jewish-Muslim relations, will give the Moosnick Lectureship in Judaic Studies at Transylvania University on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Firestone’s talk, “How the Birth-Pangs of Religion Complicate Peacemaking Between Faith Communities,” will begin at 7 p.m. in Carrick Theater. “The selection of professor Firestone as this year’s Moosnick lecturer in Judaic Studies is particularly significant,” said Transylvania religion professor Paul Jones. “Because many of the globe’s hotspots involve religion, it is imperative that we listen and learn from an informed voice who has spent his academic life dedicated to understanding and respecting the religious other.” As part of Firestone’s visit to Lexington, he will speak on Nov. 16 at Ohavay Zion Synagogue. The topic of the 7 p.m. talk will be “Diversity of Religious Expression in Islam.” Both lectures will be free and open to the public. Firestone has received numerous fellowships and authored books including “Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims” and “An Introduction to Islam for Jews.” Born in Northern California, he was educated at Antioch College and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He received his M.A. in Hebrew literature and Rabbinic Ordination at Hebrew Union College; and he earned his Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic studies from New York University. Firestone’s campus talk and the other endowed lectures at Transylvania this academic year follow the theme of “Unlearn Fear + Hate,” a public art project by

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Transylvania professor receives John William Miller Research Fellowship

Posted on November 2, 2016July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

Williamstown, Mass.—Peter S. Fosl, professor of philosophy at Transylvania University, has been selected as the next recipient of the John William Miller Research Fellowship. The John William Miller Fellowship Fund offers financial backing to scholars researching and writing book-length works addressing the philosophy of John William Miller. With the support of the Fellowship Fund, Fosl will explore the place of philosophical skepticism in Miller’s work. In his planned book, he will draw on Miller’s conceptions of the midworld, the act and criticism articulated in Miller’s five books, including “The Paradox of Cause,” and “The Task of Criticism.” “I am deeply honored to be named the next Miller Fellow and have the opportunity to devote a year of scholarly writing and inquiry in order to better understand the distinctive way Miller’s thought illuminates and responds to the challenges of skepticism,” Fosl said. “Miller’s student, Joseph P. Fell, introduced me to Miller’s thinking and set the coordinates of my philosophical life while I was a philosophy student at Bucknell in the early 1980s. Now, after ranging across the history of philosophy for more than 30 years, I am eager to return to the seminal thoughts of Miller and Fell, and consider them afresh.” The $45,000 award allows worthy scholars the means to devote substantial time to research and writing. “Professor Fosl has proposed a work that will both explore and challenge the premises of Miller’s thought,” said Michael J. McGandy, chair of

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TransyPods – Interview with Professor of Political Science, Dr. Don Dugi

Posted on October 27, 2016May 10, 2021 by Office of Marketing and Communications

Tristan Reynolds interviews Dr. Don Dugi about the 2016 presidential election. Listen to the interview with Dr. Don Dugi Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER: Welcome to another Campus Conversation– Discussions with Transylvania University Faculty, highlighting their interests, passions, and pursuits. Here is Tristan Reynolds. TRISTAN REYNOLDS: I’m here today, to talk with Dr. Don Dugi, a professor of political science at Transylvania University. And we’re going to talk a little bit about the 2016 election. In the past 72 hours, Hillary Clinton has given a speech on ending deep poverty. Half a dozen women have come out to accuse Donald Trump of various forms of sexual assault. The emails of a senior Hillary Clinton advisor have been released by the organization, WikiLeaks, possibly with the assistance of the Russian Security Bureau. And it’s only 10 o’clock in the morning. So here’s the first question. How many of those things will matter at all, to the end result? DON DUGI: Probably, not much because there’ll be a whole new array of issues tomorrow. Some will follow-up on what you just mentioned, but there probably, will be others, as well. Whether or not the accusations of sexual impropriety on the part of Trump or whatever correspondent’s problems occurred through the emails, it remains to be seen. We’ve been beaten around the head and shoulders with this information now for several weeks so we may be reaching a saturation point on some of. TRISTAN

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Transylvania inducts sports standouts into Pioneer Hall of Fame

Posted on October 17, 2016July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University inducted three alumni and the 2000-01 men’s basketball team into the Pioneer Hall of Fame on Saturday during an evening ceremony in the Beck Center. The individual inductees and years they graduated are Heather Adams-Blair ’95, Judy Henry ’82 and Michael Ray ’03. “Each year our Hall of Fame ceremonies present us a list of exceptional individuals with remarkable achievements, both during their careers at Transylvania and after, but this year’s group is in a class unparalleled,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for enrollment and student life. “Heather, Judy, Michael and the members of the indelible 2000-01 men’s basketball team have forged legacies that speak to the types of students that we are fortunate to have in our community and as our alumni.” 2016 Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees Heather Adams-Blair lettered all four years in basketball and two years in softball. As a senior captain on the basketball team, she left her mark with 808 career points, 292 rebounds and 180 assists. She finished her Ph.D. in 2000 and is a professor at Eastern Kentucky University in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. Judy Henry was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in field hockey, basketball, softball and cross country. She was a four-year starter in field hockey who scored the final game penalty stroke to win the state tournament for the Pioneers, and she was instrumental in winning the Kentucky Women’s Intercollegiate Conference (KWIC) Championship her

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Time for Three to perform at Transylvania on Oct. 11

Posted on October 4, 2016July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The world-class string trio Time for Three will perform a free, public concert at Transylvania University on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Known for their genre-bending concerts, the ensemble’s eclectic variety of styles include classical, jazz, Appalachian, rock and hip-hop. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium. It is part of the Smith Concert Series. Go here for free tickets. “Time for Three was an absolute sensation when they performed with the Lexington Philharmonic a few years ago, and since then their international reputation has grown,” Transylvania music professor Greg Partain said. “We’re thrilled we were able to entice them to Transy for a full-length concert.” Time for Three is known as a “classically trained garage band” with astonishing virtuosity and a relaxed style. “In person, the members of Time for Three come off as just three dudes in a band,” according to National Public Radio. “But with their staggering technique and freewheeling genre-crossing, it’s hard not to be swept up in the force of their contagious energy.” The ensemble features violinists Nicolas Kendall and Charles Yang and double-bassist Ranaan Meyer. Time for Three has performed in venues that range from Carnegie Hall to NFL games and the Indy 500. They hold a successful residency with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The Smith Concert Series at Transylvania was created in 2007 by the late Dorothy J. Smith, a 1942 graduate, to bring high-quality musical performances to campus. The series is

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