MTSU Mondays: STEM camp registration open, Chick-fil-A tuition program, research grants

Courtesy of MTSU
·3 min read

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

Summer STEM camp registration opens March 15 for high schoolers

Registration has opened for the second College of Basic and Applied Sciences summer STEM camp in June.

This summer, from June 19-23, the college will triple the number of participants and increase the number of faculty and departments involved with the camp highlighting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Students entering grades 9 through 12 can come to the camp and receive a taste of biology, chemistry, math, science education, physics, and engineering technology through fun activities and events with actual professors in a college setting.

Participants can explore rivers, education, or quantum computers — or visit the MTSU Flight Operations Center (Aerospace) at Murfreesboro Airport, and Creamery (Agriculture) or observatory (Astronomy) on campus. Fun extras include spending time in the Student Union game room, Campus Recreation Center, and movie theater.

The in-person camp will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Registration before April 15 will be $200 per person and include meals, activities, trips, supplies, t-shirts, and more. The fee after April 15 will be $250.

The registration deadline is May 15. To register, visit mtsu.edu/cbas/CBASSTEMSummercamp.php.

The camp is a collaboration with the MTSU Tennessee STEM Education Center. For more information, call 615-898-2613.

Chick-fil-A tuition partnership boosts engineering tech student

Middle Tennessee State University student and Murfreesboro Chick-fil-A employee Kaylin Garton, shown here inside one of the Murfreesboro locations in this 2022 file photo, is taking advantage of a partnership between the restaurant and the university that provides tuition assistance to qualifying Chick-fil-A employees.
Middle Tennessee State University student and Murfreesboro Chick-fil-A employee Kaylin Garton, shown here inside one of the Murfreesboro locations in this 2022 file photo, is taking advantage of a partnership between the restaurant and the university that provides tuition assistance to qualifying Chick-fil-A employees.

MTSU students are getting a financial boost thanks to a partnership between the university and Chick-fil-A restaurants in Murfreesboro owned by the Noblitt family.Kaylin Garton started working at the Old Fort Parkway Chick-fil-A four years ago when she was attending Siegel High School in Murfreesboro. She says the job has lifted the financial burden on not just her, but her whole family.

“My mom is a nurse and works in Hermitage,” Garton said. “I like to think me having a good job helps her know that she doesn’t always have to pick up extra shifts just so I can afford to go to school.”

Launched just over a year ago, students can position themselves to save a lot of money while earning the same paycheck. Chick-fil-A pays for one full three-hour class each semester. MTSU students who work for one of the two Murfreesboro locations must work 20 hours or four days a week to be eligible for the program.

In addition to the partnership, the two restaurants owned and operated by the Noblitt family offer student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement. Qualified workers receive up to $2,000 a year in loan repayments and $1,000 in tuition reimbursement twice a year.

For more information on the partnership, visit mtsu.edu/chickfila or call University College at 615-494-7714.

Chemistry professor earns $800K in grants, sets up lab with MTSU research office support

As a lead researcher, Mengliang “Mike” Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry has secure multiple federal grants worth nearly $800,000 worth since joining the faculty in 2017.

Zhang credits the support and camaraderie from the university’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and his colleagues.

“Michael Jordan said, ‘Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships,’” Zhang said. “Similarly, research and education in science benefit immensely from collaborations and support.”

He’s the lead researcher on three concurrent projects from the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, and he’s also part of a fourth project with Greg Van Patten, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, that’s received $600,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Using his background as an analytical chemist and over 15 years of experience in mass spectrometry — an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions — Zhang’s projects include:

  • Analyzing toxins in wildfire smoke to help develop better safety protocols for firefighters.

  • Investigating the chemical profiles of different food compounds to provide better dietary recommendations.

  • Acquiring more specialized equipment for MTSU.

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

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU Mondays: STEM camp registration, tuition program, research grants