MTSU Mondays: Interior design honored, online offerings doubled

Courtesy MTSU
·3 min read

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

Interior design students honored in regional Formica competition

Interior design students recently took home top honors at the Formica Form, a national furniture design competition that held regional awards at the Inspire Nashville trade show.

As part of the experiential learning, or EXL, capstone course for juniors taught by assistant professor Carrie Pavel, students designed a piece of furniture that utilizes Formica as a material in the project based on the theme of maximalism.

Middle Tennessee State University junior interior design student Kelsie Davy, of Rockvale, Tennessee, stands with her project titled Vernici which earned first place at Formica Form, a national furniture design competition that held regional awards at the Inspire Nashville trade show. As part of the experiential learning, or EXL, capstone course taught by assistant professor Carrie Pavel, students designed a piece of furniture that utilizes Formica as a material in the project based on the theme of maximalism.

“Each year, students participate in the Form Competition as part of an advanced 3D modeling class that focuses on form generation and digital rendering,” said Pavel, an architectural designer and historian.

Kelsie Davy of Rockvale, placed first for a wall-mounted desk piece called “Vernici.” Leen Hasan of Murfreesboro, took home second place for “Koko Sofa,” while Caroline Ayotte of Franklin, won third with “The Wave” desk.

The competition provided a multifaceted experience for the students, from developing communication skills to convey the design to working with limitations of materials.

Although Pavel’s students have competed in the competition in previous years, this is the first time the Formica representative, Amber Veach, has worked with them to have small-scale replicas of their designs built with assistance from Colton Wherry with RJ Wherry & Associates in Nashville.

Middle Tennessee State University junior interior design student Leen Hasan from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, stands with her project titled Koko Sofa which earned second place at Formica Form, a national furniture design competition that held regional awards at the Inspire Nashville trade show. As part of the experiential learning, or EXL, capstone course taught by assistant professor Carrie Pavel, students designed a piece of furniture that utilizes Formica as a material in the project based on the theme of maximalism.

Seeing the actual design in real life provided a real-world experience that Davy said will carry over into her career.

“I think the Formica Form project was an extremely valuable component to the class,” Davy said. “Seeing the project from start to finish and actually watching my idea come to life was an incredible experience. I am so thankful for not only the opportunity but also the teachings that came along with the process.”

Growing MTSU Online now offers 50-plus course options

The number of online degree options has nearly doubled, reflecting the institution’s commitment to develop and launch new and in-demand learning opportunities for those seeking the flexibility of digital course delivery.

MTSU Online now offers 54 total online programs for students, an increase of 86% since 2020, said Provost Mark Byrnes, the university’s chief academic officer.

Some of the new online offerings include a Master of Science in finance; a Master of Business Administration with a focus on strategic marketing analytics; and bachelor’s degrees in music business, leisure and sport management and criminology.

Metro Nashville Police Detective Chris Brennan joined Byrnes and shared how MTSU Online helped him in August receive his bachelor’s degree, finishing an educational goal he started almost 30 years ago. Byrnes said MTSU Online showed Brennan how his training and certifications with Metro Nashville Police could give him a leg up on finishing his degree, using a program called Prior Learning Assessment. It allows working adults to earn up to two years of college credit for learning acquired from career work and experiences.

Because of his work experience, Brennan was able to earn almost 40 hours of college credit from prior learning assessments. “I don’t know if I ever would have finished if not for the PLA,” Brennan said. “I was able to identify the points in my career that would maximize my credit.”

MTSU Online is also a favorite option for many of the university’s on-campus students. More than half of the university’s currently enrolled students are taking one or more online courses. Almost 60% of MTSU’s summer school enrollment is entirely online.

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

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MTSU Mondays: Interior design honored, online offerings doubled