MTSU is building new spaces and creating a Lightning Zone to help engineer future success
Middle Tennessee State University Winter 2026, Vol. 30 No. 1
University President
Sidney A. McPhee
University Provost
Mark Byrnes
Vice President for University Advancement
Joe Bales
Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Andrew Oppmann
Senior Editor
Drew Ruble
Associate Editor
Carol Stuart
Director of Creative and Visual Services
Kristy D. O'Neal
Designers
Darrell Callis Burks, Brian Evans, Micah Loyed, Brittany Stokes
Contributing Editor
Nancy Broden
Contributing Writers
Nancy DeGennaro, Brian Delaney, Jimmy Hart, DeAnn Hays, and Randy Weiler
University Photographers
James Cessna, Andy Heidt, J. Intintoli, Cat Curtis Murphy
Special thanks to Lynn Adams, Brian Delaney, Ginger Freeman, Matt Posey, and Mary Purdom
Address changes should be sent to Advancement Services, MTSU Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; alumni@mtsu.edu.
O ther correspondence goes to MTSU magazine, Drew Ruble, 1301 E. Main St., MTSU Box 49, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. For online content, visit mtsunews.com. 29,000 copies printed at Courier Printing, Smyrna, Tennessee. Designed by MTSU Creative and Visual Services.
Cover photo by Andy Heidt
Photo by James Cessna
All Blue, All You
As someone who believes that learning isn’t just found in a classroom, it’s something we do every day of our lives, I find that some of our most entrepreneurial leaders are also great critical thinkers. They challenge us to continue to grow and improve, to think beyond where we are today and instead focus on where we need to be tomorrow.
In today’s fast-paced, technologically driven world, standing still is no longer an option. That’s true in business and in our world of higher education. We’re each called on to evaluate our actions and our activities, seeking to provide our students and alumni with our very best efforts.
That’s why I’m excited to share with you the next chapter in our efforts to keep you informed and involved in your alma mater. This magazine represents a new approach to alumni outreach—one that has been designed especially for you, our most active and engaged alumni and friends.
Starting with this issue, at the start of each new year, you’ll receive our newly revised MTSU magazine, designed to offer an insider’s perspective of what makes your University special. This isn’t a redesign—it’s a reimagining. Every issue will be curated with your level of commitment in mind, delivering deeper insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and exclusive previews of what’s ahead. You are receiving
this issue because you are an active donor ($100 or more), participate or attend our major events, graduated within the last three years, belong to the Blue Raider Athletic Association, or serve on the MTSU Foundation, Alumni Association, or various advisory boards.
Why the change? The easy answer would be cost. But that’s not what drove this change. You did! You’ve shown us what engagement really looks like. You attend our athletic, academic, and cultural events; contribute ideas; invest financially in our efforts; and champion our mission. You deserve a magazine that reflects that energy— something more intimate, more revealing, and more rewarding.
This is your VIP pass to the University. We hope it inspires you, informs you, and makes you feel even more connected to the work we’re doing together.
Thank you for being the kind of alumnus who makes our Blue Raider community thrive!
Joe Bales Vice President for University Advancement
The MTSU Alumni Legacy Scholarship
For generations, Middle Tennessee State University has been a place where students discover who they are and where families build lifelong connections to their alma mater. The Alumni Legacy Scholarship strengthens that tradition by supporting students who proudly follow in the footsteps of Blue Raider parents and grandparents.
As one of the first Legacy Scholarship recipients, Patrick Morrison (’12) carried the hopes and encouragement of a proud alumni family and now serves as the Alumni Association Board president. “My grandmother and my dad both went to MTSU. It was one of those full-circle moments that made my time on campus even more meaningful,” he says.
Today, students like senior Business major Leah Mikkel Smith, whose mother, Kenya Smith (’98), earned an MTSU degree, are experiencing that same impact. “I am proudly walking the path my mom paved for me as an alumna, and I am thankful for every sacrifice and all the support my family has poured into my achievements,” Leah says.
Some current recipients (l–r): Smith, Max Brooks, Brittin Creasey, Graham Pace, Rylee Brand, and Mia Lindsey
Patrick Morrison, Leah Mikkel Smith (center), and Kenya Smith
Getting in the Zone
A brief conversation on current and future capital projects with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee
Seeking to capitalize upon multimillion-dollar investments in new campus facilities and future renovations at and around Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard, as well as to spur outside investment in new restaurants and entertainment venues to complement the project, you have recently outlined your vision to transform this area into an entertainment and sports district for not only students but also local residents and visitors. Tell us more.
Our long-term vision is to create what could be called
“The Lightning Zone,” where our students can walk from their residence halls or nearby off-campus apartments to performances or games at Murphy Center or Floyd Stadium but also stop for a meal at a favorite restaurant and meet family and friends. A place that draws community members and visitors to not only tournaments, conferences, and games, but also an occasional night out—supporting local businesses and generating revenue for the city and county.
Murphy Center renovations continue, stemming from the $72 million state-funded project to add a new, modern entrance to the arena with escalators, elevators, and open lobby space. It comes on the heels of multimillion-dollar Murphy Center improvements such as upgraded lighting and sound, high-definition video boards, “smart glass” outer walls, and a million-dollar control center—not only enhancing the experience of fans for MTSU Athletics events but expanding opportunities for high-profile concerts.
MTSU Board Chair Stephen B. Smith and Trustee Tom Boyd are heading up a Lightning Zone Committee of elected
leaders, prominent alumni, and trustees to guide the Murphy Center renovations and encourage retail and entertainment development.
Other ongoing campus project proposals supporting this entertainment and sports district vision include an on-campus hotel, planned for the corner of Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard. The public-private partnership would serve as a real-world learning lab for Tourism and Hospitality Management students while also serving academic visitors, athletic families, attendees of Murphy Center events, and conference guests.
What other specific investments on campus are you planning that will bolster this effort?
A proposed public-private partnership will bring a new student housing complex to the southeast edge of campus to replace the nearly 50-year-old Womack Lane Apartments, which had a capacity of 250 residents. A new MTSU parking garage also will be added to the area. We are preparing the site for construction that will result in more than 550 beds in modern, suite-style units—delivered through private financing, but under the oversight and guidance of the University.
This project gives us the flexibility to grow our enrollment, support student success, and offer affordable, high-quality housing options, all without adding new debt to our books.
The next step is securing approval of the ground lease for the project, clearing the way for construction to begin early next year if approved by the state and completion by fall 2027.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Proposed new Murphy Center entrance
Aug. 25
Rolling into a new school year
Sept. 16
Raiders roller-skating in the Rec Center for Homecoming
Sept. 20
Partying in the Grove with Davvn for Homecoming
Sept. 17
Commentator David Brooks with Constitution Day student panel
Sept. 26
The
Wiz actor and alum Cal Mitchell sharing courageous tips
Oct. 22
Drug and Vape Takeback outside health and rec center
Sept. 23
Getting pro attire and advice for the Big Career Fair
Oct. 13
governors
Nov. 3
and
at veterans center’s 10th birthday
Charlie Jr.
Hazel Daniels
Former
Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam at higher ed event
Events Calendar
Mark your calendar for upcoming events around campus
Feb. 28
Murphy Center
Men’s basketball vs. New Mexico State
March 6–7
Tennessee Miller Coliseum CFRC Rodeo
March 20, 5 p.m.
College of Education Building 164
Applied Philosophy Lyceum: Political philosopher and ethicist Vanessa Wills
April 9–11, 7:30 p.m.
Tucker Theatre
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera
April 18
Student Union Ballroom
TXMD Runway Show: “Galleries in Motion”
June 24–26
Location TBD
Alumni Summer College: Interesting classes and fun tours
Feb. 14, 4 p.m.
Murphy Center
MTSU women’s basketball vs. Kennesaw State
Feb. 26–28 and March 1
Tucker Theatre
Clue: On Stage, inspired by the board game
March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Hinton Hall, Wright Music Building
MTSU Jazz Artist Series: Michael Jefry Stevens Quartet
March 17, 1 p.m.
Honors College lawn
Reading of the Declaration of Independence, part of Honors Lecture Series focusing on the U.S. semiquincentennial
April 9–11
Miller Education Center Tech Vision 2026, a business conference
April 9–18
Various locations on campus Alumni Spring Showcase: Sample classes, activities, and events
May 3, 3 p.m.
Hinton Hall, Wright Music Building
Middle Tennessee
Choral Society
What major campus change do you remember?
MTSU added engineering, concrete and construction, and student-athlete buildings, while new housing is on the way! We asked alumni what building or big update they recalled.
The library smelled new.
The tearing down of the art barn. Remember the “hamster wheel” art installation in front of it?
The roundabout over by Scarlett Commons!
The 4-way stop there would back up traffic forever!
Some of us moved across campus to a new dorm, referred to as the New High Rise.
The new dairy barn #MTSUagriculture
The New Classroom Building replacing the old English building in 1967, yes I am that old!
I remember when Scarlett Commons went up.
The Honors Building
The Mass Comm building was new when I started as a RIM major in 1993. Mine was also the first class to go through CUSTOMS and use TRAM.
The building of Murphy Center. And living in Smith Hall 1971–72 my freshman year and not the freshman dorms
Renaming my dorm from High Rise to Corlew.
Addition of west side to Floyd, opening of business building.
New science building by the library. I waited to take science courses until it was completed.
The opening of the Student Union Building!
Ron Collins (’17)
Maggie Tobias Sue Green Stephens (’67, ’84)
Joseph Neal
Angie Tucker (’93)
Toni Butler Click (’15)
Travis O'Kelley (’00)
Kristen Smalley (’99)
Hayley Goad (’06)
Tim Strobl (’80)
Jerry F Smith (’72)
Jason Boyd (’97)
Mandi DeLarec (’09)
Leigh Ann Brewton (’16)
Courtney Bottoms Gustafson (’11)
Teresa Zupa Pirtle
MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment rebrands in honor of Music Row executive
Scott Borchetta
by Drew Ruble
Visionary music executive Scott Borchetta, whose legendary career includes the 2005 signing of then-unknown artist Taylor Swift to his independent record label, has come a long way from the 19-year-old, California-born musician who first stepped onto the MTSU campus with his bandmates to record tracks in University studios.
“We made friends with one of the students, and they had some studio time, and we came and recorded a couple times,” Borchetta recalled.
It didn’t take Borchetta long to realize his destiny wasn’t in making music but rather in promoting it.
“Playing in bands was so hard, trying to get four or five guys to truly commit to everything it takes to make it,” he said. “By comparison, the record business came pretty easy. So I decided to stop fighting it and start running toward it, and my whole life changed.”
Borchetta’s first record business job was in the mailroom of the independent promotion company owned by his father, Mike. The first industry job he secured on his own was working with actress and film producer Mary Tyler Moore’s Nashville-based country music record company, MTM Records, in the 1980s.
“There were only two of us in the radio promotion department, and I was assistant national director of promotion,” Borchetta said.
“Working with independent promoters, we started having No. 1 records. We were beating RCA. Beating Columbia. Beating Warner Brothers. And I was like, ‘OK, even as a small operation, we can kind of whip their butts.’ ”
Borchetta later joined those major labels. As an independent promoter, he offered to work for MCA Nashville for free for two of its newer artists. One was Marty Stuart, who, with Borchetta’s support, earned his first Top 10 single, “Hillbilly Rock.” Borchetta would later become head of promotions for MCA.
Photo by J. Intintoli
DreamWorks Nashville later gave Borchetta his first experience running an indie label. There he championed artist Toby Keith to household name status.
His true rise to fame, though, came after departing the major record label system and stepping out on his own with the launch of Big Machine Records in 2005. He did so with the signing of a 15-year-old female artist who had been turned down by every major record label on Music Row: the now-ubiquitous Taylor Swift.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“This is a great place. And this is an opportunity to really make sure the MTSU story keeps getting told.”
Now, a major financial gift Borchetta has given to MTSU’s storied College of Media and Entertainment—home to one of America’s top music business schools—has resulted in its renaming to the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU.
The donation from Borchetta promises to amplify MTSU’s critical role in supplying the media and entertainment industries with ready-to-work graduates and future leaders.
“When you look at how many music executives have come out of MTSU, and how many great artists and engineers and songwriters, not to mention media and production professionals, I felt it was a great place to really lift it up and make sure that the industry knows how important MTSU is to the industry,” Borchetta said, emphasizing that the college also prepares students for careers in film, television, journalism, public relations, photography, and beyond.
“I think MTSU, unless you’ve been here, and unless you’re a student, or alumni, and know about it, it deserves more attention. . . . If I can help lift them up to be even further recognized at the highest level . . . I’m all in.
“This is a great place. And this is an opportunity to really make sure the MTSU story keeps getting told. Not only to keep telling that story, but to help people create new stories. That’s really what this is all about.”
A Life in Music
Borchetta described returning to campus all these years later to place his name on the college, which houses a music business program ranked among Billboard ’s best since 2013, as “surreal.”
“It says we’ve done some pretty good work,” Borchetta said. “But we’re not done.
“We dreamt big about what we could do with our artists and our label. But this is kind of the biggest dream of how we can really help people . . . to imprint and inspire and hopefully create aspirational media.”
Borchetta is the founder, chair, and CEO of Big Machine Label Group, Nashville’s leading independent record label, which has been home to superstars including Swift, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, and many more.
With Borchetta at the helm, Big Machine has celebrated monumental success for more than 20 years, including multiple Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards. He has led the charge on more than 226 million albums sold by Big Machine artists, in addition to sending more than 265 singles to No. 1 on the country, pop, and rock charts.
Asked what Borchetta saw in Taylor Swift that everyone else missed, he highlighted her clean image and stark differences from everyone else in the genre.
“I was looking for the next female that would lead this generation because all the others, in my mind, had failed. You couldn’t take them home to mom. They needed a new leader,” he said.
Such forward thinking is an essential trait of the entrepreneur, according to Borchetta.
“I think, when we’re doing this right, we’re the agents of next,” he said. “The next big thing isn’t going to be something we already have; it’s going to be something that’s making noise on the edge of the mainstream. I don’t need the guy who sounds like Tim McGraw—we have Tim McGraw. We’re always looking for something on the edge that is so powerful it will pull the mainstream to it.”
Borchetta’s reference to country music megastar McGraw is perhaps not by accident. Decades before Borchetta signed Swift to his fledgling record label, his father, the aforementioned Mike Borchetta, who was also a successful major label record promoter, signed McGraw to his first contract at Curb Records in Nashville.
Clearly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
The elder Borchetta moved to Southern California in 1959 at the age of 19 with the promise of a job in the record business. When he got there, though, the job no longer existed. Determined not to return home to the East Coast with his tail between his legs like his own father (Scott’s grandfather) had predicted, Mike Borchetta knocked on every door in Los Angeles, determined to find his way into the record business. Decades later, he came to Nashville as an independent promoter, and legendary record
executive Mike Curb hired him in 1989 to open the Curb Records office in Nashville.
Scott Borchetta sees a lot of his father’s story of struggling to break into the music business playing out in MTSU students today.
“It’s still a challenge and now a challenge we can help with,” he said. “So many times people feel there’s no path to get into the business. Well, there is, and we’re going to continue to work hard to make that path easier and easier to navigate.”
Borchetta lost his dad to ALS in the summer of 2025, just months before announcing his gift to MTSU. Asked what it meant to him not just to put his name on the college but also his father’s, Borchetta replied, “immense pride . . . It’s something that my family can always be proud of.”
Borchetta further cited the influence of his father’s former boss, Curb, in his own decision to make a transformational gift to MTSU. Over the past few decades, Curb has been extremely generous to another Nashville-area college, Belmont University.
“To those who have been given much, much is expected,” Borchetta said. “I accept.”
A Perfect Match
Beverly Keel, dean of MTSU’s Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, said the college’s new partnership with Borchetta propels MTSU to international acclaim.
“Scott’s name is recognized and respected around the world,” Keel said. “By partnering with Scott, we are exposing our students to cutting-edge ideas and perspectives.”
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee called the renaming “a truly historic event” and “project years in the making.”
“As one of Music City’s leading entrepreneurs and visionaries, Scott Borchetta has earned the reputation as one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and forward-thinking leaders,” McPhee said, describing the gift as “what happens when one’s vision and passion combine with dedication and hard work.”
Borchetta described the MTSU gift as an investment in human capital—the ever-new generations of young students enrolling in the college who will develop future innovations in media and entertainment.
“We’re here now to say, ‘How can we share our experience to help you understand what a win looks like and avoid some of the big mistakes we made?’ And to understand that this is always evolving. That’s the goal,” he said.
It’s a goal and a financial commitment worthy of having his name forever attached to the college. But don’t expect Borchetta to get caught up in the legacy he’s creating for himself by making such a monumental impact.
“That’s for other people to ponder,” Borchetta said. “I just do the work.” MTSU
Scott Borchetta celebrating 20 years of Big Machine Records during IndyCar’s Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix race weekend
BUILDING BLUE
New $66 million center elevates journey for all MTSU student-athletes
Now looming at the north end of Floyd Stadium, MTSU’s new Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center stands tall as “the most impactful project in the history of Blue Raider Athletics,” according to Director of Athletics Chris Massaro.
“With this facility, we’ve created an environment that rivals any in the country,” Massaro said.
The transformational $66 million, 85,000-square-foot facility serves as the permanent home for MTSU football, while also offering a centralized hub for performance, preparation, and recovery for all student-athletes in MTSU’s 17 sports. It is the centerpiece of Phase I of the Build Blue Campaign, a $25 million private fundraising initiative to transform MTSU’s athletic facilities.
The center is named after current MTSU Board of Trustees chair and former baseball standout Stephen B. Smith and his late wife, Denise, who died shortly after the July 30 center opening last year.
“This facility is a testament to the wide-ranging success of our men’s and women’s athletic teams and to the remarkable community support we enjoy here at MTSU,” University President Sidney A. McPhee said.
“We’re grateful for Steve and Denise Smith, our other generous donors, and every Blue Raider who believed in this vision. Let this be the day we remember as the moment MTSU Athletics truly stepped up to the next level.”
Features include:
• t he marquee Kevin Byard Strength and Conditioning C enter, a world-class training space named in honor of the MTSU legend and current National Football L eague standout
• t he SRM Concrete Club, a state-of-the-art hospitality a nd viewing area for fans and donors
• a t eam meeting room with integrated a udiovisual technology
• t he TOA Athletic Training Center to advance r ecovery and wellness
• a s leek, high-performance team locker room and p layer lounge
• n umerous position-specific meeting rooms and c oaching offices
Now entering Phase II, which focuses on improvements to Murphy Center, the Build Blue Campaign has raised over $22.7 million from 414 different donors. A third phase will involve constructing an indoor practice facility for all athletic teams. MTSU
Fun facts
3.1 million footballs would fill the Smith SAPC
10+ miles of steel used
To see inside the Smith SAPC, scan QR code
160-seat movie theater equivalent size of team meeting room
63 miles of communication cable
68 TVs inside
AGE APPROPRIATE
One MTSU professor’s research aims to curb the financial targeting of senior adults
by Jordan Reining and Drew Ruble
According to U.S. Census data, 1.2 million Tennesseans are age 65 and older—the fastestgrowing demographic in Tennessee—and that age group will soon constitute one-fifth of the state’s population.
It’s the same for the country as a whole: By 2040, a projected 80 million Americans will be 65 or older, accounting for 1 in 5 people.
This demographic is of particular interest to Keith Jacks Gamble, a Finance professor recently named to the Weatherford Chair of Finance. Gamble is part of a group of MTSU faculty that recently launched a new interdisciplinary Positive Aging Consortium at the University.
It coincides with MTSU’s recognition as the first higher education institution in the state to earn membership in the internationally recognized Age-Friendly University Global Network (AFUGN), comprised of more than 120 colleges and universities across five continents.
Age friendly means there are policies and practices in place that support older adults and create an age-friendly ecosystem.
Gamble, former director of MTSU’s Data Science Institute, is a nationally recognized scholar in behavioral finance and financial decision-making.
His past research has focused on how cognitive decline in older people affects financial decision-making—often before families become aware.
The Cost of Aging
“The retirement years can be a time of one’s life enriched by new freedom and comfort,” Gamble’s research found.
“While increased longevity has brought great joy into seniors’ lives, it has also brought about financial challenges for which many seniors and their families are unprepared.
“Although individuals continue to build their financial experience throughout their lifetime, their financial capabilities may diminish as they age,” leading them to fall victim to financial fraud, fail to plan for future expenses, and/or forget to pay amounts they owe.
Gamble’s analysis also found that a decrease in cognition predicts a drop in self-confidence in general, but importantly, it does not predict a decrease in confidence in managing one’s own finances.
“Protecting finances from abuse should be an important part of seniors’ late life planning.”
According to Gamble, seniors may not recognize or may be reluctant to admit to this decline in their financial capability. And knowing whom to trust regarding financial matters can be problematic for them.
“Protecting finances from abuse should be an important part of seniors’ late life planning,” Gamble has written. “Unfortunately, money is often kept out of the conversation with caregivers.
“While 19% of adult children of senior parents who were in touch with their parent’s health care provider had raised concerns about mental comprehension, only 5% had raised concerns about the handling of money.”
Taking the Helm
Last year, MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business appointed Gamble to the Weatherford Chair of Finance, an endowed position established in 1986 to honor Jack O. Weatherford. A decorated Navy veteran of World War II, Weatherford was one of Tennessee’s most distinguished bankers of the postwar era.
Weatherford, who completed his business education at MTSU and the University of Tennessee, rose through the
ranks at Murfreesboro Bank and Trust Co. to become chair and CEO in 1970. During the 1970s and ’80s, he became widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading community bankers, serving as president of the Tennessee Bankers Association and head of the Community Banking Division of the American Bankers Association before becoming the national vice chair. Weatherford retired in 2009 as senior chair of MidSouth Bank.
As the new Weatherford Chair, Gamble aims to expand the University’s Financial Planning program, which prepares students to pursue the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, opening new doors for their careers in financial services and beyond.
“There are enormous opportunities for growth in financial planning in our region as our population expands and ages,” Gamble said.
Under Gamble’s leadership, MTSU plans to become a regional hub for financial planning.
And, with Gamble’s help, a safe-keeper of financial literacy among Tennessee’s aging population. MTSU
MEET YOUR BOARD REPS!
Our volunteers are crucial to the success of the University. While often unrecognized, these dedicated men and women contribute time, wise counsel, and financial support for the betterment of our Blue Raider community and are invaluable to our achievements in and out of the classroom.
Chair
Stephen B. Smith (’11)
Vice Chair
Christine Karbowiak Vanek
Trustees
J.B. Baker (’70)
Thomas R. “Tom” Boyd (’73)
Pete DeLay
John Floyd
Jimmy Granberry
William S. “Bill” Jones (’82)
Michael J. Wade (’90)
Chad White (’97)
Student Trustee
Michai Mosby (’25)
Faculty Trustee
Kari Neely
mtsu.edu/bot trustees@mtsu.edu
615-898-5880
MTSU NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
President
Patrick Morrison (’12)
Vice President
Randy Cornwell (’76)
Secretary
Russell Luna (’09)
Treasurer
Reginald “Reggie” Caldwell (’95)
Past President
Rob Payne (’97)
Executive Director
Ginger Corley Freeman (’89, ’92)
Board Members
Jared Adams (’13)
Brandon Brown (’14)
Drew Carpenter (’21, ’23)
Walter Chitwood (’78)
Brandon Davis (’10)
Terika Dean (’93)
LaTresa Doleman (’02)
Whitney Flatt (’14)
John Fuqua (’79)
Jay Hamer (’22)
Anthony Hutchinson (’14)
Sarah Johnson (’96)
Shatina Marshall (’98)
Robert “Bob” McCalmont (’73)
Sondra Owens (’94, ’21)
Kevin Perry (’94)
Keith Prather (’23)
Tosha Price (’12)
Patricia Smith (’72)
Sarah Stockton (’03)
Marion White (’88)
Michael White (’19, ’23)
mtalumni.com
615-898-2922 alumni@mtsu.edu
MTSU FOUNDATION
President
Brian Kidd (’98)
Vice President
John Ward (’93)
Treasurer
Ramsey Hassan (’98)
Secretary
Judy Powell (’82)
At-Large Executive
Committee Members
Beth Brown (’89)
Mike Gaines
Trustees
Brad Allen
Jim Calder
John Cipriano
David Eubanks (’86)
Becky Harris (’84)
Raiko Henderson (’01)
Brad Hopkins (’09)
Richard Lewis
Chris Lynch (’91)
Bill Marbet (’71)
Uma Narayanan
Beth O’Brien
Anita W. Pirtle (’76, ’79)
Joe Steakley (’75)
Rickey Smith
Mike Ussery (’89)
Dana Womack (’00, ’03)
Luther Wright Jr. (’92)
development.mtsu.edu/foundation devofc@mtsu.edu
615-898-2502
BLUE RAIDER ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
President
David McKnight (’75)
First Vice President
Jonathan Harmon (’03, ’04)
Secretary/Treasurer
A.E. Johnson (’12)
Board Members
Zeke Anderson (’12)
Don Ash (’77)
Cyle Baker (’08, ’12)
Anne Marie Brentz (’11)
Casey Brown (’08, ’15, ’24)
Jim Calder
John Cipriano (’91)
Randy Cornwell (’76)
Mike Cowles
Andre Dyer (’91)
David Eubanks (’86)
Kevin Fehr
Matt Fugate (’05)
Kelly Gatewood (’95)
Michael Hogan (’93)
Brad Hopkins (’09)
Shelly Huber (’07)
Raymond Hutzler (’01)
Thomas Jennings
Jonathon McGuire
Bryan Nale (’02)
Jeff Nebel
Grady Payne
Joey Peay (’88)
Shane Read (’00)
Kelly Rollins (’93)
Eddie Taylor
Jen Wallach (’09, ’10)
mtsubraa.com
615-898-2210
braa@mtsu.edu
Living Legends
MTSU distinguished alumni continue to embody True Blue spirit long after their campus days
The University’s Alumni Association celebrated seven remarkable alumni recently with annual awards for their achievements in fields ranging from law, military, and public service to education, journalism, and music.
For 2025–26, the association awarded its top honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, to two recipients: former judge and U.S. attorney Hal Hardin and author/political columnist
Keel Hunt, both of Nashville. Multiple Grammy Award-winner Julien Baker received the Young Alumni Achievement Award, while True Blue Citations of Distinction went to teacher and community servant Deidra Goins, retired Army Lt. Col. William “Bill” Roper, community college administrator Scott Cook, and agriculture educator Chaney Mosley
“Their success highlights the diverse paths our graduates pursue, both personally and professionally,” said Ginger Freeman, Office of Alumni Relations director. MTSU
Distinguished Alumni Award
Hal Hardin
Hardin’s more than 50-year career in law includes a successful nomination by President Jimmy Carter to U.S. attorney for middle Tennessee, playing a key role in the ousting of Tennessee Gov. Ray Blanton in 1979, and multiple judge positions throughout Davidson County.
Hardin (’66, Pre-Law) described MTSU as the place he was “first exposed to a larger sense of self and purpose.” He took that sense from campus to the Peace Corps, law school, Nashville District Attorney’s Office, and a prolific private practice career interspersed with stretches in city, county, and regional-level courts—most notably as the presiding judge of all Nashville’s courts in 1975 and his appointment as U.S. attorney for middle Tennessee in 1977.
During his tenure as U.S. attorney, the FBI informed Hardin that then-Tennessee Gov. Ray Blanton was accused of accepting bribes in exchange for pardons, with several more on the horizon. Hardin knew the Tennessee powers that be had legal precedent to swear in governor-elect Lamar Alexander early—in hopes of preventing further pardons—and helped successfully swear in Alexander on Jan. 17, 1979, three days before his Jan. 20 inauguration.
“I owe a lot to MTSU. . . . I had ‘Aha!’ moments here that really helped me in my life and set me on my path.”
Distinguished Alumni Award
Keel Hunt
Hunt’s 50 years as a professional writer includes work in The Tennessean newsroom as a reporter, editorial writer, correspondent, and city editor and work in politics for former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander to his current positions as a columnist for The Tennessean and larger USA Today Tennessee network; as a founder and blogger of political blog “Field Notes”; and as an author with four books. Hunt (’71, English) most recently released A Sense of Justice in 2023.
Another of his books, Coup: The Day the Democrats Ousted Their Governor, Put Republican Lamar Alexander in Office Early and Stopped a Pardon Scandal, details the 1979 ousting of Ray Blanton. In 1977, Hunt became the research director and speechwriter for Alexander’s 1978 campaign for governor, and he was named special assistant to Alexander in January 1979.
Hunt later served as staff director of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a trustee emeritus of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville and has served on the Board of Visitors of MTSU’s Honors College.
“W hat I took from this campus and ever after was the impact of certain faculty members on my life.
In the 60 years since I came on this campus, I remember them dearly and profoundly as having instructed me and helped me understand the world.”
Keel Hunt (center) with Alumni Association President Patrick Morrison (l) and MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee
Young Alumni Achievement
Julien Baker
Baker (’19), of Memphis, earned three Grammy Awards with the indie rock supergroup Boygenius for its second album, The Record, and now performs in a country duo with fellow musician Torres.
Baker was pursuing her English degree at MTSU with future plans to teach when she first tucked herself into one of the School of Music’s piano closets and composed her debut album, Sprained Ankle, in 2015—releasing it to critical acclaim. She followed that up with Turn Out the Lights in 2017, all in the midst of her studies.
The 30-year-old musician has yet to slow down, taking the indie rock scene by storm. In addition to her collaborative work, Baker has released multiple singles and her third studio album as a solo artist.
“I love MTSU. . . . No one’s paying me to say that. I feel like a commercial. But I’m proud to be a Raider.”
True
Military Service
Retired Lt. Col. William “Bill” Roper Roper (’76), of Stafford, Virginia, had a highly decorated, 28-year U.S. Army career, along with 24 years in public service working with the Federal Air Marshal Service in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Roper began military service at 18 with a deployment to Vietnam before he came home to Murfreesboro for his MTSU degree in Physical Education through the ROTC program. Roper went on to serve as acting battalion commander and task force commander in the Gulf War and later oversaw large-scale programs at the Pentagon, where he survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“W hen you graduate from the ROTC program at MTSU, you graduate with the seven values of leadership—honor, integrity, duty, loyalty, respect, selfless service, and personal courage. You take those values into your career and have a chance to be where I am today.”
True Blue Citation of Distinction Service to
the Community
Deidra Goins
Goins (’99), who teaches at Manchester’s Westwood Elementary School, has always embodied service— between her 25 years as a fifth-grade teacher, charitable outreach to veterans, and co-founding of the All God’s Children ministry to supply food and support to children in need.
When she lost one of her three sons to suicide in 2016, she turned that same spirit of service toward suicide prevention by participating and partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). She has organized several AFSP Out of the Darkness Walks, raising well over $100,000 for suicide prevention to date.
“W hen you go about offering hope to other people, extending a helping hand, that same hope comes back to you in your darkest moments. That’s the secret to serving others.”
Blue Citation of Distinction
True Blue Citation of Distinction Achievement in Education (MTSU faculty)
Chaney Mosley
Mosley (’00, ’04), a School of Agriculture associate professor and Nashville resident, has dedicated his career to promoting agriculture education through years in the classroom, extensive research and publications, and professional leadership.
After graduating with MTSU’s top student honor, he came back to earn his master’s degree. In 2018, he returned to MTSU again—to teach. Before his homecoming, Mosley served 15 years in the military and became a leader in forwarding the field of career and technical education (CTE)—preparing students for hands-on careers—from the front lines of the classroom, school district-level administration, and the Tennessee Department of Education.
“I’m excited about the opportunity career and technical education has to uplift people out of poverty—the opportunities those hands-on learning opportunities provide to our most struggling areas.”
True Blue Citation of Distinction Achievement in Education (non-MTSU faculty)
Scott Cook
Cook (’01), president of Dyersburg State Community College, has dedicated his life to higher education after earning a bachelor’s degree from MTSU in Political Science, a master’s in Liberal Studies, and a doctorate in Education.
He has lived out his values for students and the larger community through his 20-plus years in the classroom and administration at two-year college institutions across multiple states.
Cook has held several top-tier positions such as provost at Madisonville Community College in Kentucky and full professor, program director, assistant vice president, and vice president at Motlow State Community College.
“I learned here that knowledge opens doors and transforms lives.”
MTSUNEWS.COM
Strong Leadership
MTSU welcomed three new members to its Board of Trustees in September. The newest members, each serving six-year terms, are John Floyd of Murfreesboro, founder and owner of Ole South Properties; Jimmy Granbery of Nashville, chair and CEO of H.G. Hill Realty; and Chad White of Murfreesboro, executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Brookdale Senior Living. The board was recently expanded from eight to 10 appointed members. Also in September, the University celebrated and thanked outgoing trustee, alumna, and accomplished businesswoman Pam Wright, an inaugural board member who served since 2017.
MTSU was once again the largest locally governed institution (LGI) in the state, with an official enrollment as of the September 2025 census date at 21,025 students—a roughly 2.2% increase over last year. The University was also up in new freshman enrollment by more than 3%. This is especially significant news given the “enrollment cliff”—a projected 15% decline in U.S. college students between 2025 and 2029 due to a drop in birth rates following the 2008 recession.
MTSU was again included on the Forbes and Princeton Review annual lists of the best colleges in the U.S., one of only four Tennessee public institutions to make both rankings. Forbes considers several factors, including average student debt, return on investment, enrollment, and outcomes for low-income students. Forbes singled out the national reputation for MTSU’s music programs in the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment and the College of Liberal Arts, as well as affordable tuition. Colleges on the Princeton Review list constitute only about 15% of America’s four-year institutions.
Molly Mihm and her mom, Tammy, walked across Murphy Center’s stage together to earn their degrees in August. Molly received her master’s degree in Administration and Supervision with a Higher Education concentration through the College of Education. Her mom studied Health Administration, earning her bachelor’s degree through University College, which helps nontraditional learners fulfill their advanced education goals. Tammy, the state’s director of compliance oversight for TennCare, benefited from both the Tennessee Reconnect program and MTSU’s Prior Learning Assessment, which gave her college credit for the years she had worked in her field. Molly, who works in MTSU’s College of Education, plans to get her doctorate and advance in higher education.
mtsunews.com/mother-daughter-graduate-together
MTSU’s new $74.8 million Applied Engineering Building helps students prepare for a constantly changing technical world. Philanthropy helped lay the foundation for it.
by Brian Delaney
Explosive growth in programs, especially Mechatronics Engineering, was central to the University’s decision to build a $74.8 million, 89,000-square-foot Applied Engineering Building (AEB).
The AEB opened in August 2025 on the southeast side of campus, next to the School of Concrete and Construction Management Building, a $40.1 million, 54,000-squarefoot facility completed in fall 2022.
“This is another state-of-the-art facility that puts the finishing touches on our Science Corridor of Innovation,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. The corridor includes the MTSU Science Building, which opened in 2014, and the renovated preexisting science facilities on campus. “We are committed to providing our students with the latest, cutting-edge technology and resources to ensure they’re well prepared for the in-demand jobs this facility will train them to do.”
Features in the new building include a Makerspace area, new robotics equipment, and industry-inspired automation and fabrication labs.
Private donations from two families, in particular— the McDonalds and the Goulds—helped transform this hightech dream into reality. Their legacy is now shaping the next generation of engineering leaders.
For students like Max Brooks, a Mechatronics Engineering major, the donor support for the Engineering Technology Department makes MTSU stand out.
“Whether it’s the welcoming atrium provided by the McDonalds or the advanced laboratory provided by Dr. Gould’s family, I feel the same glimmers of energy I did as a freshman, where the department truly wants me to succeed,” he said.
A Lifetime of Service, A Lasting Legacy
From a Rutherford County farm in the Blackman community to MTSU and beyond, Donald McDonald has built his life on education and hard work.
Now, he and his wife, Frances, are ensuring future generations of students can do the same.
Most recently, the couple made a major gift to the new AEB. Its central gathering space now bears their names: the Donald and Frances McDonald Atrium.
The McDonalds, who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2025, have a long history of giving back. In 2004, they created an endowed scholarship for students in Engineering Technology and Aerospace.
Donald’s own story, as a “farm boy” with limited options to afford college, shaped that decision.
“We decided to help students like myself, that didn’t have a lot of funds to start with,” he said.
Donald’s deep affinity for MTSU also stems from the faculty who supported him during his formative years as a student.
“The best thing was the mentorship that the instructors gave,” he said. “All four years, they were mentors in each of their fields. I can name every one of them. And they tried to help you learn what you needed after you got out of school. And these guys were personable. They were really nice to me, and I’ll always remember that.”
With his roots in the engineering program, Donald was drawn to the facility’s potential.
Jimmy (l) and Jeff Gould
Donald and Frances McDonald with CBAS Dean Greg Van Patten (r)
Donald’s path to graduation wasn’t straightforward—he had to pause his education in the late 1950s due to finances. He made a strategic pivot to join the U.S. Navy’s flight school to pursue his interest in aviation, then returned to MTSU to complete his degree in 1963. He went on to a long career at Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, retiring as director of operations in 1999.
Donald and Frances deepened their support of Aerospace with a gift to create the McDonald Aerospace Maintenance Laboratory in 2018. Donald also served on the MTSU Foundation board for six years, continues to serve on the Aerospace advisory board, and was celebrated in 2014 with the Alumni Association’s David Cullum Award for Service to the University.
Although Frances did not attend MTSU, she has always been a steady partner in their shared vision. “I’m just always supporting Don in these decisions,” she said. She also built her own career, working more than 30 years in accounting for engineering firms in Nashville.
“We felt for a lot of kids that we saw with potential,” Donald said. “With the right training, you could make a great career. And that’s what we decided would be the best type of [scholarship recipient].”
Today, the McDonalds’ generosity continues to open doors for students like Aidan Martin, a Mechatronics Engineering major and department scholarship recipient.
“The McDonalds’ philanthropy has helped me go through university without worrying about the money involved,” Martin said.
Based in the Smart Sensing and Robotics Lab, Martin helped design a six-wheeled autonomous robot for agriculture.
“MTSU is going to be a superpower in middle Tennessee,” said Martin, who anticipates graduating in 2027. “This new frontier for AI and automation can now be accessed by students here.”
A Vision for Mechatronics and Beyond
The Gould family’s support for MTSU Engineering Technology began with the creation in 2018 of the Dr. Richard Gould Mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory, now a second-floor showpiece of the new AEB.
Named in honor of the late Richard H. Gould, a U.S. Navy officer, General Electric engineer, and longtime chair of the University’s former Industrial Studies Department, the lab was made possible through the generosity and vision of his wife, Jean, who wanted to honor her husband’s legacy.
At the AEB ribbon-cutting, Gould’s sons, Jimmy and Jeff, were inspired to build on that legacy. Energized by the new facility and its potential, they decided to make a substantial new gift from their family that will provide enduring support for the Mechatronics program as a whole. Support that ensures that students continue to benefit from the kind of opportunities their father envisioned.
Max Brooks (l) and Bereket Tegistesillassie
“The lab by itself was impressive, but the building is fantastic,” Jimmy said. “The lab is in a great home, and I hope a lot of students are able to take good engineering fundamentals and discover real and creative mechatronic applications.”
As chair from 1979 to 1995, Gould laid the groundwork for what became MTSU’s acclaimed Mechatronics Engineering program. Gould pushed the program “to expand its reach and embrace mechatronics before so many better-known institutions,” Jimmy said. The legacy of those efforts lives on in the new lab, thanks to the Goulds’ generous vision.
The Goulds’ connection to the University is deeply personal. As children, Jimmy and Jeff spent a lot of time in the Industrial Studies offices and classrooms where their father spent nearly three decades shaping the future of engineering education.
“It was my mother’s generosity and her belief in my father’s legacy that helped make the mechatronics lab a reality,” Jimmy said. “Jeff and I are proud of her for recognizing what our dad would have liked and the impact a seed investment could accomplish.”
At the 2018 dedication of the lab’s original location in the Davis Science Building, Jean Gould said she had learned that mechatronics graduates can enter the workforce with knowledge and skills that benefit both themselves and the world around them. “I knew my husband would have wholeheartedly supported this project,” she said.
Jeff remarked that his father “would be very happy about MTSU’s continuing commitment to educating students with a successful career in mind. We don’t have that in every university in America today, so I applaud MTSU for that.”
A Launchpad for Opportunity
One such student is Manav Patel, a Mechatronics Engineering student originally from Kenya who graduated in December.
“Not many universities offered a program like this, and MTSU was one of the most affordable options for me,” Patel said.
Patel’s first semester studying in the new building included using the newly enhanced Gould Mechatronics Lab for a course in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are the same equipment used in factories.
Patel emphasized how much it means to students when alumni and supporters invest in facilities like the AEB.
“It makes us feel good. It shows that somebody out there has a lot of faith in the University,” Patel said. “When alumni come back and donate . . . it shows they’ve been able to use their degree to get to a spot in the world where they can give back to the University.”
Such investment shows the value of attending MTSU, Patel said. Indeed, the generosity of families like the McDonalds and the Goulds has created an impact that will serve students for decades to come. MTSU
On the Rise
With strong partners and grants, MTSU ushers in new quantum era with QRISE Center
by Randy Weiler
A world-class hub at MTSU aimed at advancing quantum discovery, innovation, education, and economic development underscores that “now we are playing in the big leagues when it comes to research,” Provost Mark Byrnes says.
The work by Physics Associate Professor Hanna Terletska and her colleagues that led to the new QRISE Center “is really a reflection of the fact that . . . we’re doing research and creative activity at the forefront of national and international work,” Byrnes added.
QRISE, which stands for Quantum Research, Interdisciplinary Science, and Education, is dedicated to driving breakthroughs that will shape the next generation of technology and transform how MTSU faculty and students understand and harness the quantum world. Terletska, who has received federal grants totaling more than $8 million, is director of the new center.
Among the partnerships forged in the University’s quantum push are collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE).
“The partnership between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and MTSU reflects a shared commitment to developing a bold workforce equipped with critical skills to shape quantum advancements, not only for Tennessee but for the nation,” ORNL Partnerships Director Shaun Gleason said. “MTSU’s QRISE Center is a significant step in preparing students for this transformative future.”
Quantum information science is a rapidly growing field with enormous potential to transform various areas, including computing, national security, finance, energy research, new materials, health care, and information technology.
“Tennessee is emerging as one of a handful of leading states in the race to develop a quantum economy, and MTSU is forging its place in this effort,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said.
Added Terletska: “This moment is a generational opportunity for the state of Tennessee to become a national leader in quantum technologies, their commercialization, and quantum economic and workforce development.”
Greg Van Patten, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, called it “a bold step into the future of innovation and discovery” for MTSU and its students: “Whether they become scientists or engineers, analysts or entrepreneurs, our graduates are going to be ready to contribute on day one, because they've not only learned the theory, but they've done the work, here, with us.” MTSU
