1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

“An Evening of Song”: Transylvania’s Creative Intelligence Series brings University of Kentucky opera student Reginald Smith Jr. to campus Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m.; free and open to the public

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s new Creative Intelligence Series has so far brought to campus a behaviorist, a primatologist and a sociologist. On Wednesday, March 23,  University of Kentucky Opera Theatre student Reginald Smith Jr., will perform at 7:30 p.m. in Carrick Theater in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. This performance is free and open to the public. Earlier this year, Smith received the Best Stage Presence Award and Third Place in the Metropolitan Opera Mid-South Regional Auditions. In 2007, he was the undergraduate first-place winner of the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition at UK and is currently a senior studying with Everett McCorvey in the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre program, pursuing a dual degree in vocal performance and vocal music education. Smith, a native of Atlanta, has been seen in performances of “Romeo et Juliette,” “The Magic Flute,” “Die Fledermaus,” “La Boheme,” “Mikado,” “River of Time” and “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” He has participated in summer music programs including The American Institute of Musical Studies Program in Graz, Austria, the Premiering Sydney Program in Sydney, Australia, the Intermezzo Young Artist Program and Seagle Music Colony. Transylvania’s Creative Intelligence Series celebrates the activities of people who are working at the leading edge of their fields. While the events tend to focus on the activities of younger scholars, artists and performers, they also bring to campus more established individuals whose work shows a high level of creativity. The name of the series

Former Poet Laureate of Kentucky, Richard Taylor, will give reading at Transylvania Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Former Poet Laureate of Kentucky and Kenan Visiting Writer at Transylvania University, Richard Taylor, will read from his work at Transy Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Carrick Theater of the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public.   Taylor has won a variety of honors for his extensive publications in both poetry and prose and was named Poet Laureate of Kentucky in 1999. As director of Poetry in the Schools for the Kentucky Arts Commission, he served as poet-in-residence at a dozen public elementary and secondary schools across Kentucky. He also served as a professor of English at Kentucky State University for many years. Taylor earned a B.A. in English from the University of Kentucky in 1963, an M.A. in English from the University of Louisville in 1964, a J.D. from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1967 and a Ph.D. in English from UK in 1974. His publications include Sue Mundy: A Novel of the Civil War in Kentucky, Rail Splitter (poems), Stone Eye (poems) and Girty (novel).   The lecture is sponsored by the Delcamp Visiting Writer series. For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120.

Transylvania publication receives regional award

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Transylvania University admissions viewbook received the Award of Excellence and was a Grand Award finalist in the student recruitment category of the 2011 Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s District III awards competition. The award winners were selected from entries submitted by public and private colleges and independent schools in nine southeastern states. The viewbook provides a comprehensive introduction to Transylvania for prospective students. It was produced in-house by the university’s publications staff: Martha Baker, director; William Bowden, writer/editor; Barbara Grinnell, graphic designer; and Tyler Young, editorial assistant. “Our publications team consistently produces award-winning work,” said Sarah Emmons, Transylvania associate vice president of communications and public relations. “I’m delighted that the viewbook has once again been judged among the top in the region.” Transylvania, founded in 1780, is the nation’s sixteenth oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently ranked in national publications as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Transylvania wins AIKCU’s annual “Battle of the Bumpers” contest for third year running and raises over $7,000 for scholarship fund

LEXINGTON, Ky.—With the help of alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends, Transylvania University is once again the winner in the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) “Battle of the Bumpers.” After back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, Transylvania aggressively promoted its plates again in 2010, beating out the other 19 AIKCU campuses to put the most campus license plates on Kentucky highways and the most dollars in the school’s general scholarship fund. Transylvania’s efforts helped increase their total sales to 768, an increase of 33 license plates over 2009. Ten dollars from the sale of each plate is returned directly to the school’s general scholarship fund, translating into $7,680 for student scholarships at Transylvania. Overall, sales of Kentucky Independent Higher Education plates raised almost $42,000 for student scholarships in 2010. “I am impressed with the number of alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends who choose to show their Transylvania pride with a white and crimson license plate,” said Transylvania President R. Owen Williams. “In particular, the support of our loyal alumni has been remarkable.” The Kentucky Independent Higher Education series plates took to the roads in 2002. Each independent college and university had its own plate, but they all shared a common design theme. Thanks to advances in license plate printing technology and some changes in state regulations, AIKCU members were able to work with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to redesign their plates in late 2007.

Transylvania honors 63 first-year students for academic excellence

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Sixty-three first-year students at Transylvania University were recently inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society that recognizes academic excellence. To be included, students must have maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA and be in the top 20 percent of their class during their first year or term of college. Vice President and Dean of Students Michael Vetter was initiated as an honorary member. The new inductees are: Justin Brown Apperson, Tyler Wittmer Arnold, Miriam Jane Barager-Kemper, Daniel A. Barber, Elizabeth Ann Barczak, Cody Steven Barnett, Ethan Wert Campbell, Ashley Elizabeth Carter, Michael Alan Chase, Malynda Judith Clark, Alexis Nicole DeCamp, Hamilton Edwin Del Grosso, Roshni Nitin Desai, Victoria Frances Dickson, Matthew Wilson Durr, Maggie Elizabeth Eakins, Victor Charles Ferguson, Ashley Marie Fox, Diana Marie Gooding, Mark Ashley Hatfield, Brianna Jordan Hill, Kathryn Elizabeth Hooker, Carolyn Rose Hubbard, Brian Patrick Hudson, Sarah Marie Jagielski, Meghan Fay Johnson, Kayarash Karimian, Stephen Joshua Kowolonek, Jantzen Lee Latham, William Paul Malicote, Nicholas David Marnatti, Kali Zoe Mattingly, Karah Elizabeth McDaniel, Kelsey Michelle Meece, Carolyn Elizabeth Meiller, Allison Shea Merritt, Melissa Rose Moberg, Colin Joseph Mong, Rebecca Kendall Oliver, Abigail Jeanette Overstreet, Anthony Joseph Pakozdy, Jordan Trace Perkins, Shelly Elizabeth Perkins, Anne Somers Preston, Alicia Marie Reinersman, Christian Nathaniel Rhudy, Karl Alexander Schmitt, Zoe Elizabeth Snider, Maria Angela Starck, Dylan Shane Stearsman, Amanda Mae Stoddard, Victoria Lee Sullivan, Raisa Olivia Tikhtman, Emily Marie Ullrich, Chad Michael Warner, Tara Katherine Werner, Anne Eugenia