1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Four Transylvania students named Fulbright semifinalists

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Four Transylvania University seniors have been named semifinalists for highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants that fund English Teaching Assistantships abroad for the 2016-17 academic year. Samantha Easterling of Wilmore, Ky., McKenzie Gearheart of Pikeville, Ky., Erin Marek of Pataskala, Ohio, and Courtney Smith of Batavia, Ohio, have all been selected based on academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. In the past 10 years, 17 Transylvania students have received Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships, including four last year who are currently serving in Thailand, India, Malaysia and South Korea.  “We’re extremely proud of these students,” President Seamus Carey said. “They follow a long line of recent Transylvanians who have been awarded Fulbright grants. It’s evident they are putting in hard work and are receiving excellent preparation from their professors and staff advisers.” “Being named a semifinalist is a testament to the unmatched education I’ve received at Transylvania as well as a validation of all of my hard work these past four years,” said Smith, who is a semifinalist for the Slovak Republic. “I feel so fortunate to be considered for this prestigious award and sincerely hope that Transylvania is well represented when the final grants are released.” The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 as the flagship international educational exchange program and operates in more than 160 countries. “Knowing I might be spending a year in Mongolia seems like something I could only dream of,” Marek said. “My

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Transylvania theater department receives $204,769 gift

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s theater department has received a $204,769 gift to expand student and faculty opportunities and bolster community engagement. Over the next four years, the Dixon/White Theater Fund will benefit the university in a variety of ways, including travel grants, free theater tickets, conference attendance for students, visiting artist residencies and workshops, faculty development and guest speakers. “These funds offer students co-curricular experiences that complement our work in the classroom and in production,” theater professor Michael Dixon said. “For example, we’re initiating a lecture series to address issues of diversity in world theater. And each year we’ll provide funding for students to travel somewhere in the world to experience theatrical events in other cultures. It’s definitely mind-expanding, and it could be mind-blowing.” The donation—made by Dixon’s family in memory of his mother, Marion—will make it possible for the university to offer free admission to its theater productions, with the goal of making performances accessible to more of the Lexington community. This ties into Transylvania’s broader Project One initiative to promote diversity and inclusion on campus. The grant also will fund an artistic residency, which will begin in May with Lexington theater company Project SEE and its production of “No Spring Chicken” in Little Theater. “Professional theater residency is just one of many projects this gift allows us to pursue, and it adds Transylvania to a prestigious group of colleges with professional companies on campus, including Yale, Harvard and Vassar,” theater

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Mayor Jim Gray to deliver Transylvania commencement address

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Mayor Jim Gray will give Transylvania University’s commencement address on May 28. The two-term mayor has strong ties to the school, which is dedicated to strengthening its connection to the city. Transylvania and Gray have both shown a strong commitment to Lexington’s Northside Neighborhood in particular. Most recently, Transylvania agreed to partner with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to improve the West Fourth Street streetscape from Upper to Jefferson streets. The university—which is a Northside Neighborhood Association member—also helped with revitalization efforts by transforming an abandoned tobacco warehouse into the Fourth Street Athletics Complex. Gray’s connection to Transylvania is more than civic. His late mother, Lois Howard Gray, graduated from the school in 1940. She was Miss Transylvania that year and later served on the university’s Alumni Board and was on the Board of Trustees for 22 years. Additionally, in 1997 she received the Morrison Medallion, the school’s highest alumni award. “We welcome Mayor Jim Gray to campus as an obvious choice for our next commencement speaker,” President Seamus Carey said. “Transylvania is an integral part of Lexington, and the city—with its plentiful internships and other opportunities—complements our mission as a top-100 national liberal arts university.” The commencement ceremony will be in front of Old Morrison. The historic building is at the center of the city seal, which highlights the importance of the relationship between Transylvania and Lexington. Other recent commencement speakers have included Homaira Akbari, a leading thinker

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Kiplinger names Transylvania a 2016 Best College Value

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LEXINGTON, Ky.— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has named Transylvania University one of the best values in the nation. The magazine, which looked at which colleges combined outstanding academics with affordability, ranked Transylvania in the top 12 percent of the schools reviewed. “This is one of many reliable, data-driven sources that identify Transylvania as an excellent value,” said Rhyan Conyers, interim vice president for enrollment. “Higher education is a significant investment of time and financial resources, and it’s important to us that we deliver an outstanding value to our students and families.” Kiplinger editor Janet Bodnar offered practical advice about the ranking. “Families can use the list as a starting point and then tailor it to each student’s preference for such things as size, location, campus culture and major,” she said. The magazine included 1,200 schools in its review, which also placed Transylvania 64th among the country’s liberal arts colleges. When ranking the schools, Kiplinger considered criteria such as admission and graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, tuition cost and financial aid. Transylvania is committed to providing a top-tier education for the lowest cost possible. For instance, 98 percent of its students receive financial aid, and first-year students are awarded an average of $22,147 in scholarships and grants. Additionally, the university guarantees graduation in four years, covering tuition beyond that time for those who’ve met academic and course-load goals. The Kiplinger ranking is among several recent recognitions for Transylvania. Others include a U.S. News & World

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