1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Anonymous donor pledges matching gift of up to $1 million

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—In honor of the April 29, 2011 inauguration of R. Owen Williams, Transylvania’s 25th president, an anonymous donor has pledged a matching gift of up to $1 million for Transylvania alumni and friends who make a gift of $10,000 or more by April 30. Contributions that bring a donor’s cumulative giving for the 2010-11 fiscal year to $10,000 or more also count toward the challenge. The donor’s gift and funds raised from the challenge will be used to help move Transylvania forward by immediately implementing parts of the 2009-12 Strategic Plan and other initiatives. Williams has stressed five points of concentration: diversity, globalization, sustainability, technology and community outreach. “Our anonymous donor is a dear friend of the university,” said Mark Blankenship, acting vice president for development. “His generosity of matching gifts of $10,000 or more gives people added incentive to help the university they love.” Blankenship said that donors may choose how their gifts are used, including support for any specific area including the annual fund, which helps the university meet its more urgent needs, or for named scholarships and the general scholarship fund, which allow prospective students with financial need the chance to experience a Transylvania education. To make your gift and help move Transylvania forward, or for any questions, please contact the development office at (800) 487-2679 or email:Mark Blankenship ’81, acting vice president for development and associate vice president for alumni affairsSusie H. Bullock, development writerLori

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Transylvania President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer receives Henry Clay Medallion

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President Emeritus Charles Shearer, center, with Governor Steve Beshear, right, and George McGee as Henry Clay. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University President Emeritus Charles L. Shearer was awarded the 2010 Henry Clay Medallion for Distinguished Service from the Henry Clay Society during a December 2 black tie dinner at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion. A committee of the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation selected Shearer for the honor in recognition of the achievements in his personal and public life that reflect Clay’s principals of statesmanship and compromise for the good of mankind. Shearer retired from the presidency of Transylvania in July 2010 after 27 years in that office, the longest such service in the 230-year history of Kentucky’s oldest college. His tenure saw substantial increases in the university’s enrollment and endowment, the addition of eight new buildings and two athletics fields and a rise in the rankings of national liberal arts colleges. “Whether it was his relationship with the chairman of the board and other trustees, or with faculty, staff and students, Charles’s use of diplomacy has always been most evident,” said Warren W. Rosenthal, a member of the Transylvania Board of Trustees, in introducing the honoree. “For 27 years President Shearer was highly respected, deeply appreciated and loved by all.” In accepting the award, Shearer noted the close relationship that Clay enjoyed with Transylvania in its formative years, serving as a professor in the university’s law school and remaining a trustee and friend

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Transylvania receives grant from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to fund educational programs for improving stormwater quality

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Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry presents Transylvania sustainability coordinator Angela Dossett with Transylvania’s grant for water quality education. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University was among the schools, businesses and neighborhood groups that received a grant to fund projects to improve stormwater quality in Lexington. Mayor Jim Newberry presented the grants at a news conference today. Transylvania received a $4,878.75 educational grant for a year-long campaign focused on informing the university community about water quality issues. The grant requires a 50 percent match from the university. The grant will be used for water quality monitoring and stream cleaning projects in the Town Branch watershed, interpretive signage at the university’s rain garden and other existing water quality facilities on campus, faculty/staff workshops and distribution of up to 25 rain barrels and 20 rain garden plant kits to faculty and staff who attend the workshops. “The stormwater incentive grant is an exciting opportunity to focus on our impact on local water quality, as a campus community and as individuals, helping to position Transy as a leader in watershed protection in the downtown community,” said Angela Dossett, sustainability coordinator. The Water Quality Fees Board selected 13 Class B grants, available to businesses and institutions, for funding this year through the water quality management fee. Seven grants involve installation of infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff and six, including Transylvania’s, were for the provision of educational programs. Fourteen Class A grants were also awarded to

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Entrepreneur Hall of Fame recognizes three with Transylvania ties

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—The inaugural class of the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame includes three men with close ties to Transylvania University. Created to celebrate Kentucky’s most successful entrepreneurs, the hall of fame recognizes financial achievement, innovation in products or services, job creation, contributions to specific industries and community involvement. Although Pearse Lyons, Warren W. Rosenthal and the late William T. Young earned their entrepreneurial stripes through markedly different careers, they are all either current or former members of the Transylvania Board of Trustees and have supported the university in a variety of other ways. “The remarkable professional success these men have attained gave them the means to also support higher education through their generous commitment of time and resources to this university,” said Transylvania President R. Owen Williams. “We salute them for this latest honor and renew our appreciation for what they have done for Transylvania.” Transylvania Trustee Pearse Lyons is the founder and president of Alltech, a leading animal health company that employs over 1,900 people in 91 countries. Begun in 1980, Alltech now has group sales approaching $400 million. The company was the primary corporate sponsor of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Lyons is responsible for creating the Alltech Lecture Series at Transylvania, which has brought key figures in science and industry to campus to discuss such diverse topics as renewable energy, biotechnology in relation to the aging process, Alzheimer’s disease and the effects of nutrition on

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Successful Empty Bowls Project returns to Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery Dec. 6-8

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—The art program at Transylvania University invites the community to help feed the hungry by doing some early Christmas shopping for beautiful handmade ceramic bowls at the Morlan Gallery Dec. 6-8, noon-5 p.m. Transylvania University ceramic and design students, along with local potters, have created and donated several hundred beautiful ceramic soup bowls available in the Morlan Gallery for $10 each. In addition to soup bowls, there will be larger individually priced bowls and wall tapestries designed to visually correspond to the graphic motifs on some of the soup bowls. When the Morlan Gallery last hosted this event, in 2008, almost 600 bowls sold in just hours. This year, local potters have been added to the gallery event to augment the supply of handmade ceramic bowls. Started 17 years ago, the Empty Bowls Project is an opportunity for local artists to donate handmade ceramic bowls that are made available for purchase, with the proceeds benefiting community agencies that feed the hungry. Over the last ten years, the Morlan Gallery bowl sales have raised $31,000 for local agencies such as Moveable Feast, the YMCA Spousal Abuse Center, the Community Action Council and the Hope Center. “Local artists can still donate bowls for sale as part of the Empty Bowls Project,” said Morlan Gallery director Andrea Fisher. “Functional or nonfunctional artists’ bowls of any media: wood, glass, fiber or paper mâché would be wonderful additions to this worthy event.” Customers browse

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