1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Beshear to speak at Transylvania’s commencement

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear will speak at Transylvania University’s  commencement ceremony Saturday, May 24, at 9:30 a.m. in front of historic Old Morrison. Two hundred and forty-six students will receive bachelor’s degrees before they head off to graduate and professional programs or enter the workforce with the critical thinking and creative problem solving skills that a liberal arts education provides—and the current economy demands. “Transylvania University has produced smart, well-rounded and well-equipped graduates longer than any other institution in Kentucky, and I am honored to serve as the commencement speaker,” said Gov. Beshear. “I’m looking forward to sharing a few pieces of hard-earned advice before these bright young men and women venture out into Kentucky and the rest of the world. I am confident that they’re going to make our Commonwealth very proud.” A two-term governor, Beshear has championed education initiatives that improved the state’s rankings in areas such as the number of young adults who have received a high school diploma or its equivalent and the number of high school graduates who go on to college. Transylvania senior Karl Alexander Schmitt, a biology major from Fort Mitchell, Ky., will give the student address, “What’s in a Name?” During the commencement ceremony, Transylvania will also award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to two alumni: Lula Morton Drewes, class of 1967, and Patrick H. Molloy, class of 1963. Drewes, a Lexington native and graduate of Bryan Station High School,

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3-D printers add new dimension to education at Transylvania

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—A liberal arts education is about more than sitting under a tree, pondering the meaning of life. For example, Transylvania University students explore technology’s cutting edge with 3-D printers. Computer science professor Kenny Moorman teaches a May term course that uses the school’s two MakerBot 3-D printers and a 3-D scanner to create functional and whimsical objects. Students were intrigued by the somewhat unusual class offering. “It actually filled up faster than any class I’ve ever taught,” he said. 3-D printing is a relatively new technology that allows you to produce a three-dimensional solid object from a digital model. An existing item can be scanned using a 3-D scanner, or an object can be designed from scratch using computer software. The “printing” involves fusing successive layers of material of various shapes and sizes. It can be an inexpensive and practical way for designers from a variety of industries to produce concept models or small quantities of parts. Having this technology on campus offers a somewhat rare opportunity. Moorman said that students at small liberal arts schools don’t usually get a chance to play with this kind of technology. During the class, students have printed out objects such as a fully jointed hand, which may eventually be connected to a robot, and a fully functioning crescent wrench. They printed some not-so-practical stuff, too—check out the video. As is typical in a liberal arts program, class discussion ranged across several disciplines.

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Transylvania recognizes civil rights attorney who helped integrate the university

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Patrick Molloy, Transylvania University class of 1963, has followed an instinct for justice his entire life. The Lexington-born attorney served most of his career as a federal prosecutor who championed civil rights. On May 24, Molloy will return to his alma mater to receive an honorary doctorate during Transylvania’s commencement ceremony on the lawn in front of Old Morrison. The award recognizes his efforts to integrate the campus of the historic liberal arts institution. His sense of civil justice—instilled by his parents—motivated Molloy to take an action in the racially-charged early sixties that would bring profound change to Transylvania University and to the lives of many, including fellow honorary doctorate recipient, Dr. Lula Morton Drewes. “As a student I looked around and saw no African Americans,” Molloy recalls of the Transylvania campus of his junior and senior years. “Myself and one or two others including [President’s Award honoree] Mike Mitchell decided to go see Dr. Irvin Lunger, the university president to say ‘Mr. President, we’re concerned that in this day and age there ought to be representation of minorities in the student body.’” Lunger agreed, instructing Molloy and Mitchell to find an individual with the courage and determination to become the first African American to pursue a degree at Transylvania.  “We got some references and one of them was [Bryan Station High School student] Lula Morton. We went to her house and sat down with her and her family.

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Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery recognizes student artists

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  Kara Sparks, “Tayler,” oil on canvas LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s Morlan Gallery wrapped up the academic year by awarding 14 prizes to deserving students who submitted artwork for the annual Juried Student Art Exhibition. The university’s Fine Arts program and the dean of the college announced the awards May 2 at the opening reception. The exhibition remains open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays through May 16. Four students were recognized with $50 Honorable Mentions: senior Jennifer Smith (Fort Mitchell, Ky.) and sophomores Elizabeth Garduno (Fairmount City, Pa.), Trent Redmon (Burlington, Ky.) and Kristen Frost (Sextons Creek, Ky.). Five Excellence in Media prizes, worth $100 each, were awarded to students who produced exceptionally strong work in various media: junior Savanna Barnett (Harrodsburg, Ky.) for digital media; junior Luke Gnadinger (Fisherville, Ky.) for ceramics; junior Chelsea Pharris (Leitchfield, Ky.) for drawing; sophomore Kara Sparks (Pataskala, Ohio) for painting; and junior Stacey Venneman (Southgate, Ky.) for sculpture. The Fine Arts program selected two pieces, Sparks’ painting “Tayler” and Pharris’ drawing “Wii Controller,” to become part of the permanent collection displayed in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center.   Stacey Venneman, Self-portrait, ceramic Dean Michael Bell personally selected two pieces, which will be added to the university’s permanent collection, for the prestigious Dean’s Purchase Award: Smith’s “Oreo” and Venneman’s “Trophies of Mediocrity.” Senior Amanda Stoddard (Crittenden, Ky.) received the prestigious Nana Lampton Prize. Named in honor of the Louisville artist and

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A merry month for Transylvania biking

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s enthusiasm for bicycling kicks into high gear this month with a wide range of activities—from cycling through France to riding to a local pie shop. One of the more popular May cycling events is Bike to Work Day, which is Friday, May 16. Faculty, staff and students will meet at Shriners Hospital for Children on Richmond Road at 8 a.m. and ride as a group to Transylvania. This will be the fourth year the university has celebrated Bike to Work Day. Also this month, 18 students made a trek to Europe for the May term class, Transy’s Tour de France. During this unique trip to Paris and the South of France, students immerse themselves in French society and explore the past. Other bicycle-related events for the Transylvania community during National Bike Month include: a jaunt to Missy’s Pies on May 7; the Bike for Blooms and Bon Bons on May 11 to the UK Arboretum; a Legacy Ride and picnic May 14; and a ride from Wallace Station on May 18. “Transylvania is a great place for biking,” Sustainability Director Angela Poe said. “We’ve got the bike maintenance shop on campus to support those with their own bikes, and the loan program for those who weren’t able to bring their own or are trying out biking for the first time since childhood.” The university recently expanded the free loan program so bikes can be checked out for

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