MTSU Mondays: First doctoral scholar, True Blue Give, ‘life writing’ lecture series

Courtesy of Middle Tennessee State University
·4 min read

Here's the latest news from Middle Tennessee State University.

Economics Ph.D. student named MTSU’s first Tennessee Doctoral Scholar

When doctoral student Yolunda Nabors learned that tuition for her fifth and final year of her Ph.D. in Economics program would be fully covered along with a generous stipend, she was in total disbelief.

“It was a total surprise!” Nabors said about the email from the College of Graduate Studies announcing her win. “It was such a relief to know that my tuition would be covered for the academic year and that I would receive a stipend to assist with my education.”

Yolunda Nabors
Yolunda Nabors

Nabors was named the university’s first recipient of the Tennessee Doctoral Scholar fellowship, a Tennessee Higher Education Commission program designed to “increase the number of minority students who earn a Ph.D. in Tennessee and to encourage these graduates to seek faculty positions by providing financial assistance for up to three years of graduate study,” according to the program’s website.

Specifically, participating institutions waive the recipient’s tuition and provide a faculty advisor for the length of the program, and a state grant provides a $20,000 annual stipend plus additional funds for research and professional development.

As a full-time senior lecturer at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, and a full-time student, Nabors said she did not have much time or funding to focus solely on her research before the fellowship.

Nabors said she chose the doctoral economics program because of its straightforward, accelerated program design that fits well with her work commitments.

New Master of Athletic Training program launching this summer

Professor Helen Binkley and master instructor Kristi Phillips have transitioned their high-quality undergraduate degree program in Athletic Training to a master’s program that launches this summer.

Binkley, program director, wrote a program proposal and worked together with Sonya Sanderson, chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance, to get the program approved by the university administration and filed paperwork with the state and athletic training education accrediting body.

Helen Binkley, right, director of the Athletic Training master’s program at Middle Tennessee State University, and Kristi Phillips, the program’s coordinator, demonstrate a CPR technique to then student Nick Smith, now an MTSU graduate, in the summer of 2021 on campus.
Helen Binkley, right, director of the Athletic Training master’s program at Middle Tennessee State University, and Kristi Phillips, the program’s coordinator, demonstrate a CPR technique to then student Nick Smith, now an MTSU graduate, in the summer of 2021 on campus.

Phillips said it is hopeful the transition will positively impact the compensation and employment opportunities for graduates, who will be qualified to work in a variety of settings, Phillips said, from high schools, clinics, colleges, the military, to the performing arts and more.

Honors Lecture Series features ‘Life Writing’

The Honors College is presenting its spring lecture series, helping students grow in the area of critical thinking when hearing from faculty and outside experts.

“Life Writing,” a concept developed by professor and Honors Associate Dean Philip Phillips, takes place at 3 p.m. every Monday (except March 6 for spring break) through April 3 in Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building Room 106.

Dr. Philip Phillips, associate dean, University Honors College, and professor of English.
Dr. Philip Phillips, associate dean, University Honors College, and professor of English.

From the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing, Phillips found this about life-writing: “Life-writing includes every possible way of telling a life-story, from biography and autobiography, through letters and memoir, to bio-fiction, blogs, and social media such as Tweets and Instagram stories. Writers and researchers are increasingly recognizing how much of writing is life-writing, including poetry and fiction. Through life-writing, we can find out more about each other and we also understand ourselves better in relation to the past.”

The Honors Lecture Series has been a fixture each fall and spring for more than two decades, featuring topics and presenters from multiple disciplines on and off campus. Mainly a class for students, the lecture series is free and open to the public, but with limited seating.

True Blue Give fundraiser set for Feb. 14-16

The sixth annual True Blue Give fundraising campaign will take place Feb. 14-16.

Started in 2018, True Blue Give rallies Blue Raider faithful to invest in the people and programs that make MTSU special. For three straight days, the university will encourage people to make a gift online or by text investing in their favorite college, department, or program and its people.

In the first five years, alumni and supporters have given over $2.3 million during the True Blue Give, organizers say. That is money directly invested in students and faculty, elevating programs, and transforming the university. Those wishing to participate can go to mtsu.edu/truebluegive.

For more information, contact Kristen Keene, director of annual giving/special projects in the MTUS Development Office, at 615-898-2728 or email kristen.keene@mtsu.edu.

MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU Mondays: First doctoral scholar, True Blue Give, ‘life writing’ lecture series