1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Transylvania University names Dickinson associate dean for religious life

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—T. Wilson Dickinson, a 2002 graduate of Transylvania University, has been named associate dean for religious life at the university, effective July 7. Dickinson will help the university integrate religious life with the liberal arts. The position is a natural outgrowth of Transylvania’s commitment to ecumenism, reconciliation and inclusion in a 21st century context.    “Transylvania is committed to enabling students to know and experience the history and practices of various religious traditions and to interact with people of other faiths and practices,” said President R. Owen Williams. “This provides the tools they need to become informed and proactive leaders in today’s diverse world.” Dickinson will promote spiritual development, theological reflection and social awareness on campus and will serve as chaplain for the campus community, adviser for student religious organizations and liaison between the university and the various religious bodies of Central Kentucky. Dickinson received a master of divinity degree from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in religion from Syracuse University. He served as a visiting assistant professor of philosophy at Transylvania during the 2011-12 academic year. Dickinson is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He cofounded Young Adult Ecumenical Forum, which offered conferences for college students of diverse backgrounds to engage in open theological conversation on issues such as poverty, ecological justice, violence and human trafficking. For the past year, Dickinson has been a worship leader at the Fayette County Detention Center. Dickinson says

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Transylvania’s Karen Anderson recognized as a Bluegrass Community Connector; 140 connectors chosen from 5,000 nominations

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Karen Anderson, coordinator of community service and civic engagement at Transylvania University, was one of 140 Bluegrass Community Connectors honored Tuesday at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington. Last August, the Bluegrass Community Connector Project began accepting nominations of people throughout the region who are great civic connectors and make things happen in their communities. More than 5,000 nominations were received.   Since 1994, Anderson has worked with the campus community to make meaningful connections with local and regional communities through short and long term community service projects, civic engagement programming and support for service-learning classes. While at Transylvania, she has participated in more than 25 service trips throughout the United States. In 2005, she co-chaired a national committee to assist Susan G. Komen for the Cure to restructure their volunteer program. She serves on the board of the League of Women Voters, Lexington and the Kentucky Campus Compact Advisory Board, and has been an officer of the Kentucky Association of Housing Officers and the Central Kentucky Association of Volunteer Administrators Anderson has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, the Lexington Humane Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, East Seventh Street Center, Komen’s Lexington and many other organizations. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Minnesota State University and a master’s of education degree from Kent State University. Only the fifth such project in the country, the Bluegrass Community Connector

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New Governor’s School for the Arts session opens June 17 at Transylvania University; Gov. Beshear helps GSA celebrate 25th anniversary

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kentucky’s most talented young artists from 43 counties will assemble on Transylvania University’s campus on Sunday, June 17, to begin the three-week 2012 session of the Governor’s School for the Arts. The latest GSA class is comprised of 225 rising juniors and seniors from all regions of the Commonwealth who will receive top-level training through daily seminars, master classes, lectures, hands-on workshops and field trips to various arts attractions in central Kentucky. The student-artists will receive rigorous instruction in nine disciplines: architecture, creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theatre, new media, visual arts and vocal music. Since 1987 more than 4,500 of the state’s most talented high school artists from all 120 counties have attended the GSA summer program following a highly demanding selection process. Each year 1,500 students have applied annually for one of the available scholarships, valued at $2,800. Transylvania is among 21 colleges and universities that offer scholarships to GSA alumni. The program will culminate on Saturday, July 7, with an all-day festival that celebrates the achievements of the young artists through performances open to family, friends and the public. Graduation ceremonies will be held that day at 5 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. “The presence of the Governor’s School for the Arts on our campus each summer is an eagerly anticipated event,” said Transylvania President R. Owen Williams. “We feel that our urban setting in Lexington, combined with our

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Transylvania University unveils presidential portrait of Charles L. Shearer

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—A portrait of Transylvania President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer was unveiled during a reception for the Board of Trustees held at the home of President and Mrs. R. Owen Williams. Board chairman William T. Young Jr. presented the portrait on behalf of the university as a way of paying tribute to Shearer’s 27-year tenure (1983-2010) as president, a period that saw significant increases in enrollment, endowment, scholarships and campus buildings. “Charles Shearer was in office longer than any other Transylvania president and guided the university to some of its greatest achievements,” Young said. “It is with great affection and admiration that we commemorate his service to Transylvania through this striking portrait.” The painting was created by Robert Kuester, an award-winning artist who lives and paints in New Mexico. Kuester holds a degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. The oil-on-canvas portrait, done in a realistic style, measures 30 by 40 inches. “Robert did a very nice job of creating a warm, not overly serious likeness, and I especially like the attention to detail with things like my hands,” Shearer said. “I’m very honored and grateful for this portrait.” Leslie Baldwin, wife of Transylvania business administration professor Bill Baldwin and a sales associate for Kentucky with the international firm Portraits, Inc., facilitated the selection of Kuester from among the 175 portrait artists represented by the organization. Transylvania art professor Nancy Wolsk was a consultant for the

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Affrilachian poet Bianca Spriggs gives Transylvania graduates address to remember

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Poet Bianca Spriggs ’03 speaks to the Class of 2012. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University President R. Owen Williams conferred the Bachelor of Arts degree to 241 students Saturday in a commencement ceremony on the steps of historic Old Morrison. Bianca Spriggs, a renowned Affrilachian poet and 2003 Transylvania graduate, gave a unique commencement address in front of hundreds of spectators, presenting a poetry reading accompanied by graduating senior Caleb Ritchie on keyboard. Spriggs put out a call to seniors to submit responses to questions about their four years at Transylvania—what they would take with them to their careers and how they’ve grown as people. She used some of those responses in her presentation. Spriggs, a history major and studio art minor at Transylvania, is in the doctoral program for creative writing at the University of Kentucky and has had an active career including writing, teaching, performance art and filmmaking. She earned a master’s of arts in English composition/creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was named one of the Top 30 Performance Poets by TheRoot.com, a daily online magazine providing commentary on the news from black perspectives. She is recognized as a Cave Canem Fellow from the Brooklyn-based national writer’s center that focuses on African American poets and writers, and she is the creator of The Swallowtail Project, a traveling creative writing workshop designed for incarcerated women throughout Kentucky. Spriggs talked to the students about measuring time not in minutes

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