Each of the colleges and academic units at MTSU maintains a high level of activity and produces news worth crowing about. Here are just a few recent examples.
College of Basic and Applied Sciences
A new Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences begins this fall. The degree will support regional workforce needs in the areas of health care, biomedical and biotechnology research, and forensic science testing. The degree can also be utilized by students who need more time to prepare for professional school.
The MTSU equestrian team won the 2025 National Intercollegiate Ranch and Stock Horse Association Division 2 National Champion title. Students competed in the versatility ranch horse events, showcasing their talents in ranch reining, cow work, ranch trail, and ranch riding. MTSU also earned national runner-up honors in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association’s Western Competition.
Geosciences Department structural geology students will be utilizing 2024 PE Limited MOVE software this fall, which will improve underground exploration techniques they will learn in the classroom and boost their career opportunities. The $2.76 million in-kind donation from Edinburgh, Scotland-based PE Limited will benefit undergraduate and graduate students. The MOVE suite is the most complete structural modeling and analysis toolkit available. It provides a full digital environment for best practice structural modeling to reduce risk and uncertainty in geological models.
College of Behavioral and Health Sciences
The School of Nursing celebrated a 100% first-time pass rate on both the NCLEX licensure exam and the Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked our undergraduate Psychology program among the Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs for 2025.
In partnership with the Center for Organizational and Human Resource Effectiveness (COHRE), Criminal Justice professors Thomas Jurkanin, Carter Smith, and Ben Stickle secured a three-year contract with the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Their efforts will modernize, reform, and raise training standards for law enforcement training and certification across the state.
Jennings A. Jones College of Business
A Master of Science in Project Management launches this fall. The interdisciplinary program will seek recognition from the Project Management Institute. It is the first graduate degree program in project management in the state.
Keith Jacks Gamble has been appointed as the new Weatherford Chair of Finance in the Department of Economics and Finance. Kelly Manix, assistant professor of Management, has been appointed as the Tolbert Faculty Fellow in Business Ethics. Audrey Scarlata, associate professor of Accounting, has been appointed as the chair of the Department of Accounting.
The new Center for Cybersecurity Management, housed in the Department of Information Systems and Analytics under the leadership of Michael Erskine, will serve middle Tennessee residents by disseminating knowledge and raising awareness about cybersecurity. By acting as a community resource, the center will further MTSU’s standing as a prime contributor to the regional workforce. The center will foster education, outreach, and innovation, directly contributing to the state’s resilience against cyberthreats.
College of Education
MTSU College of Education Dean Neporcha Cone was named an Impact Academy fellow through national nonprofit organization Deans for Impact (DFI), joining a cohort of leaders chosen for their commitment to improving educator preparation. DFI is committed to ensuring that every child is taught by a well-prepared teacher and supports educator preparation programs to bring the science of learning into teaching practice. Cone is one of 18 leaders announced as part of the fellowship’s 10th cohort. These fellows lead programs that serve 11 states and a wide range of geographic and institutional contexts from coast to coast.
MTSU’s Literacy Studies Ph.D. program—one of the first such programs in the country—recently drew national support with a $1 million private grant in its quest to solve America’s literacy crisis. Drawing on faculty from MTSU’s College of Education, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, and College of Liberal Arts, the interdisciplinary doctoral program is rapidly developing literacy leaders who can effectively translate research to practitioners—and it is becoming a national model along the way.
MTSU’s College of Education recently hosted nearly 200 educators from across the world at its 12th annual Literacy Research Conference. Approximately 43 million U.S. adults are functionally illiterate, representing 21% of the population. In addition to a keynote speaker, there were 51 presentations from 58 educators and students.
College of Liberal Arts
Jennifer Snodgrass has been appointed as the new director of the School of Music. Bryan Braue has been selected as the new MTSU Band of Blue director, continuing the tradition of excellence in University bands after the decades-long leadership of Craig Cornish, who retired.
MTSU’s 15th biennial Holocaust Studies Conference welcomed scholars, students, and community members to examine the focal shift in Holocaust studies from past to present.
MTSU Archaeology students are getting hands-on with history through ongoing research at the site of one of Nashville’s first post-Civil War Black neighborhoods. Led by Professor Andrew Wyatt, the Bass Street Community Archaeology Project provides experiential learning in the basics of fieldwork for students while preserving an important part of Black history. Bass Street is at the foot of Fort Negley, a Union Army stronghold built by hundreds of enslaved and freed Black people during the Civil War. Once the war ended, the area developed into a thriving Black community that was later demolished and residents forced to relocate to make way for Interstates 65 and 40.
College of Media and Entertainment
The College of Media and Entertainment will introduce two new academic programs this fall: a new concentration in Esports and Gaming Content Creation under the B.S. in Media and Entertainment, and a fully online M.S. in Digital Media. The Esports concentration prepares students for the growing field of gaming content, offering coursework in aesthetics, ethics, marketing, and technology. The one-year, nonthesis online master’s program is designed for working professionals, with courses in social media management, SEO, strategic communication, and digital media theory—all accessible remotely, with no need to commute to campus.
The college in May celebrated the inaugural graduate from its Motion Design concentration—the first of its kind in the state. Sarah Varni was the program’s first student when the concentration was added in fall 2022 to the Video and Film Production degree. In the expanding field, professionals create moving visual imagery for TV, film, video games, social media, websites, and more.
Recording Industry students made history last spring at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, where Audio Production majors Kendall Burrill, Audrey Lapp, and Brooke Colebank became the first all-female crew—and the first out-of-state students—selected for the prestigious SXSW Student Production Crew. Tasked with supporting live event audio throughout the festival, the team’s selection marked a milestone in representation and excellence for the College of Media and Entertainment.
Honors College
With more than 1,000 students enrolled in the Honors College—and only 140 of those designated as Buchanan Fellows—the need for increased financial support has never been greater. Thanks to the creation of the Honors College Excellence Endowment, the Honors College is now better positioned to provide transformative opportunities for a wider range of its talented student body. This endowment enables us to offer Buchanan-level experiences to the more than 900 Honors students who are not Buchanan Fellows. From scholarships to research support and international education, the Excellence Endowment ensures that students from all walks of life have access to high-impact educational experiences.
Inaugural Honors College Dean John Paul Montgomery, a beloved professor and mentor, died in June. His passing marks the end of an era, but he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations. Montgomery retired in 2004 after 35 years of devoted service to MTSU as a full professor in the English Department, director of the Honors Program, and ultimately as the founding dean of the Honors College. A tireless advocate for academic excellence and personal growth, he spent more than a decade transforming what was once a small program into a thriving Honors College that has since become a model for Tennessee and beyond. In 1998, MTSU became the first public university in Tennessee to elevate its program to a full-fledged Honors College—a bold, strategic move he orchestrated with vision, persistence, and heart.
Honors Associate Dean Philip E. Phillips’ research on the literary representation of animals in American literature inspired an international conference in India where he served as keynote speaker this year. Phillips spoke at the International Conference on Human, Animal, and Natural History: Ecocritical Approaches to World Literature, which was held in Cuttack, Odisha, India. The conference theme was even developed from Phillips’ scholarly work, reflecting the global significance of ecocriticism. The three-day event brought together scholars and students from around the world to explore the intersection of literature and environmental concerns.
James E. Walker Library
The Affordable Course Materials Grant began in fall 2024 with $10,000 in support from the Provost’s Office. This program has made significant strides in advancing open educational resource (OER) initiatives. The Provost’s Office has confirmed continued funding for the 2025–26 academic year, ensuring ongoing support for faculty committed to reducing textbook costs and enhancing student access to learning materials.
Walker Library hired a new student engagement librarian, Shelly Salo Martinez.
In April, Walker Library proudly launched the JEWL Seed Library, an initiative designed to support sustainability and inspire the MTSU community to garden. The project was made possible through a $2,000 grant awarded to Ginelle Baskin and Wendy Jones by the MTSU Sustainability Fund. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can choose up to five seed packets per week. The JEWL Seed Library is designed to help aspiring gardeners get started growing vegetables and flowers. The launch event on April 2 drew an enthusiastic response—nearly 200 students, faculty, and staff stopped by to pick up seeds and learn more about the program.