The week will kick off with the fourth annual Innovative Professor Conference on Monday, Nov. 9 and Tuesday, Nov. 10. Online faculty will be able to take advantage of a variety of workshops and concurrent session presentations specifically for the distance-learning professional.

Throughout the week, all registered APSU students are invited to participate in the Student Scavenger Hunt. Students who find everything on the list will have an opportunity to qualify for prizes. The hunt closes at noon, Friday, Nov. 13, with the winner to be announced at 4 p.m.

The Distance Education Showcase will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11 in the Morgan University Center lobby. Everyone is invited to learn more about distance education.

On Thursday, Nov. 12 in the Morgan University Center Ballroom, the Online Faculty Luncheon will be held to show appreciation for APSU’s online faculty. The event, by invitation only, will include the announcement of the 2009-10 Innovative Professor Award recipient.

NDLW will conclude Friday, Nov. 13 with the Multimedia Lab Open House from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the lab’s new location in the McReynolds Building, Room 102. Those attending will be able to explore the new facility, see what new tools are available and meet the distance education staff.

For more information, call the APSU Center for Extended and Distance Education at (931) 221-7816 or go online to http://www.apsu.edu/ext_ed/NDLW_Week_Schedule_2009.aspx.

Nashville

“Because we have been on an aggressive path of improvement with the Tennessee Diploma Project, it was necessary to utilize this transition year to change our calculation methods and more accurately demonstrate student progress in an effort to pursue higher standards,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said.

Two major changes have been implemented for calculation of scores on the Report Card. First, the baseline year for comparing student achievement has been reset using 2009 test scores. Second, a new grade scale will be used. The scale used to determine all grades A through F has been dramatically revised, meaning scores considered to be an “A” proficient in years past may now be a “B” or “C”.

“Part of student success means setting the stage,” said Dr. Connie Smith, Assistant Commissioner of Accountability, Teaching and Learning. “With the Tennessee Diploma Project and recalibrating the Report Card, we’re setting the stage for our students to be more competitive and better prepared for career or college after high school.”

In 2007, the Tennessee Department of Education launched the Tennessee Diploma Project. The more rigorous curriculum and graduation requirements the TDP call for become effective this year. For more information on the TDP visit: http://www.tn.gov/tdp

To access Report Card data, please visit http://tn.gov/education/reportcard/index.shtml.

“This is a different kind of groundbreaking,” said Joe Mills, director of Housing and Residence Life at APSU. “Rather than having well-sifted ceremonial dirt, we’re actually using turned dirt.”

Officials with Austin Peay State University, Rentenbach Construction Co. and Lyle-Cook Martin Architects break ground Nov. 2 of APSU’s new residence hall complex, scheduled to open in Fall 2011. (Photo by Rollow Welch | APSU Public Relations and Marketing)

The 416-bed facility will replace three existing residence halls on the APSU main campus: Cross, Killebrew and Rawlins, which now house a total of 392 students.

The complex will feature two identical buildings joined by a common lobby and other common spaces at an “elbow,” said Lane Lyle, architect with Lyle-Cook-Martin Architects in Clarksville responsible for designing the project.

The ground floor of the new residence hall will include public or common spaces, lounges, meeting and game rooms, a convenience store and coffee bar, a copy center and a laundry area.

The new residence hall planned for APSU

“The unique quality of this residence hall is the aspect of building in common spaces with study lounges and kitchens in each ‘pod’ of the building,” Mills said. “These shared spaces were designed to get students more connected with APSU, which will result in a more quality living experience and will be a positive contributor for student retention and success.”

Students should be able to live in the new complex beginning Fall 2011.

Knoxville-based Rentenbach Construction Co., which recently finished two student housing projects at Eastern Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University, will build the new facility at APSU.

Business seminar

• HR Certificate—Part 3 will meet from 6–8 p.m., Thursdays, Nov. 5–Dec. 10 in APSU’s Clement Building, Room 137. (course $120, supply $7)
• All You Want to Know About Small Business HR will meet from 6–9 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 16–17 in APSU’s McReynolds Building, Room 206. (course $71, supply $5)

Computer software applications

• QuickBooks for Small Business will meet from 6-8 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, Nov. 2–11 in APSU’s McReynolds Building, Room 203. (course $95, lab $5, text $25, supply $5)
• MS Excel 2007 will meet from 6-8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, Nov. 5–19 in APSU’s McReynolds Building, Room 203. (course $127, lab $5, supply $5)

TSBDC

• Doing Business With the Government will meet from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3 at US Bank, Clarksville. (free)
• Creative Ways to Finance Your Small Business will meet from 9 a.m.–noon, Tuesday, Nov. 17 at US Bank, Clarksville. (free)
• Starting and Financing a Small Business will meet from 10 a.m.–noon, Tuesday, Nov. 24 at ACS-ACAP Center, Fort Campbell, Ky. (free)

Parenting, health and safety

• Parents, Children and Divorce, the court-mandated seminar for divorcing parents, will meet in Dickson County from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Renaissance Center, Room 220. (course $35, text $15)
• Parents, Children and Divorce, the court-mandated seminar for divorcing parents, will meet in Montgomery County from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14 in APSU’s Claxton Building, Room 111. (course $35, text $15)
• Parents, Children and Divorce, the court-mandated seminar for divorcing parents, will meet in Dickson County from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Renaissance Center, Room 220. (course $35, text $15)

Other programs

The center partners with Montgomery Rider Education Program in offering a motorcycle rider safety course. For more information or to register, contact the program director, Dee Gleason, at (931) 648-2208 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., weekdays.

They offer more than 300 new online classes that start every month. Classes last for six weeks, are instructor-led and 100 percent online. For more details, call the center at (931) 221-7816 or visit the Web site at http://www.ed2go.com/apsu.

The center also offers year-round online certificate programs in administrative dental assistant, administrative professional with MOS, business marketing design, Cisco CCNA, digital arts, entrepreneurship, event management and design, forensic computer examiner, grant writing, graphic design, HVAC, home inspection, interior design, lean mastery, medical transcription, medical billing and coding, multimedia design, paralegal certification, personal fitness trainer, pharmacy technician, project management, records management, travel agent, wedding planner and many more. Financial aid is available. For more information, contact the center by telephone at (931) 221-7816 or visit http://www.apsu.edu/ext_ed.

A brief ceremony will be at 1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2 in the gravel lot off of Marion Street near where the new $25.5 million complex will be built. The 416-bed facility will replace three existing residence halls on the APSU main campus: Cross, Killebrew and Rawlins, which now house a total of 392 students.

The public is invited to attend the ground breaking.

The new residence hall planned for APSU

The complex will feature two identical buildings joined by a common lobby and other common spaces at an “elbow,” said Lane Lyle, architect with Lyle-Cook-Martin Architects in Clarksville.

The ground floor of the new residence hall will include public or common spaces, lounges, meeting and game rooms, a convenience store and coffee bar, a copy center and a laundry area.

“The unique quality of this residence hall is the aspect of building in common spaces with study lounges and kitchens in each ‘pod’ of the building,” Mills said. “These shared spaces were designed to get students more connected with APSU, which will result in a more quality living experience and will be a positive contributor for student retention and success.”

Students should be able to live in the new complex beginning Fall 2011.

The following 10 candidates make up the 2009 Homecoming Court:

• Brad Averitt, of Erin, sponsored by Sigma Chi.
• Taylor Clinard, of Clarksville, sponsored by Chi Omega.
• Raven Cooper, of Chattanooga, sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Phi Alpha and Every Nation Campus Ministry.
• Jody Dorris, of Greenbrier, sponsored by Alpha Tau Omega.
• Chris Drew, of Clarksville, sponsored by Alpha Delta Pi.
• Kaley Drew, of Clarksville, sponsored by Alpha Tau Omega.
• Casey Green, of Cumberland Furnace, sponsored by Sigma Phi Epsilon.
• Rachael Groves, of Gainesville, Fla., sponsored by Alpha Delta Pi.
• Nimit Patel, of Clarksville, sponsored by Alpha Lambda Delta.
• Caleb Roberts, of Greenbrier, sponsored by Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Peter Jordan traces his interest in the paranormal back to a childhood fascination with magic, nurtured by stories of the feats of Harry Houdini. As a young boy Peter spent many an afternoon imagining just how Houdini was able to do what he did. Houdini, after the death of his mother turned to spiritualists and mediums, but found them to be nothing but frauds, so he began debunking their “tricks.” Thus it was a natural fit for Peter to become an investigator of the Paranormal as well.

Peter Jordan talks about a image showing the figure of a young boy.

Since 1975, Jordan has conducted more than a hundred investigations of haunted dwellings, and has an innovative approach in the continuing search for scientific evidence of life after death.

“There is an Aura of Mystery about psychic abilities and psychic research,” Jordan said.

He became a Psychic investigator under Dr William G. Roll at Duke University’s Parapsychology Laboratory. He later worked with Dr. Kenneth Ring from the University of Connecticut. Jordan holds a Masters Degree in Psychology from the New School for Social Research in New York City, where he has taught parapsychology at the university level.

His research findings have appeared in the New York Times, and his work as a ghosthunter has been featured on national television on shows including “CBS News”, “ABC 20/20” and “Unsolved Mysteries.”

Peter Jordan currently serves as the Research Director of Vestigia, a New Jersey based paranormal research organization.

Jordan follows the Fortean philosophy of Paranormal Research. Fortean refers to Charles Fort, who theorized that just because mainstream science cannot currently explain a phenomenon, that does not necessarily invalidate it. Peter Jordan’s forensic method of research combines psychological and medical profiles of witnesses, with the use of “psychic detectives,” and modern electronic technology.

After years of research and seeing a recurring pattern in these types of cases, Jordan posits that certain people function as focal points or nexuses for paranormal events.

This is similar to how although John Bell was the favorite target of the Bell Witch in Adams, 12 year old daughter Betsy is often attributed as the focal point. Indeed Jordan sees a link between Paranormal Activity and childhood trauma and abuse. However he cautions that it can become very easy focus on these types of explanations, and thus overlook other possible causes, this was the case in the film “An American Haunting.”

During his presentation Jordan showed a number of intriguing videos and other photographic evidence he collected during his years as an investigator. He spoke of his various investigations including Gettysburg, Amityville, and Spontaneous human combustion.  Afterward he spoke with members of the audience about their own experiences with the Paranormal world. If you have a story of Paranormal Activity you would like to relate, you can contact Peter Jordan at or via email at

Peter Jordan asking the audience who has seen the Amityville Horror Movies

The event was sponsored by the APSU Student Affairs office. This was the second year that Peter Jordan has given his presentation at the University.

[Show as slideshow]

Nashville – The Tennessee Department of Education yesterday announced fundamental changes to the calculations of Value Added and Achievement scores for the 2009 Report Card. The method of calculating scores and the scale used to determine letter grades has been revised to allow for a transition to the new standards and assessments required by the Tennessee Diploma Project.  Comparison of the 2009 Report Card data with previous years’ scores will not be possible or valid.

“Our students have made great progress over the last five years,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said. “Our teachers have truly made the difference. These changes to our calculations reflect no loss of learning but rather the pursuit of higher standards as we demand the highest level of success for our students.”

Two major changes have been implemented for calculation of scores on the Report Card. First, the baseline year for comparing student achievement has been reset using 2009 test scores. Previously, all students were compared to students who took state tests in 1998. All students in all subgroups have shown tremendous gain compared to 1998 under the previous calculation. However, new learning standards require the state to adopt a new baseline for determining school grades.

Second, a new grade scale will be used. The scale used to determine all grades A through F has been dramatically revised. In past years, Tennessee defined student proficiency in subject matter as a very basic understanding of the knowledge required. The Tennessee Diploma Project requires that the state realistically assess proficiency of subject matter. Going forward, students will be expected to have mastered a concept to be considered proficient.

“We must set expectations for all students higher,” said Dr. Connie Smith, Assistant Commissioner for Accountability, Teaching and Learning. “The Tennessee Diploma Project sets the stage for children to succeed.”

The Tennessee Department of Education expects to release the 2009 Report Card in early November. For more information on the Tennessee Diploma Project, visit http://tn.gov/TDP/.

Information on the Report Card is here: http://tn.gov/education/reportcard/index.shtml.

Presentation

Summary

The students are enrolled in the Senior Exhibition class, taught by professor of art Gregg Schlanger, which requires they present their work in a public setting to earn their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Austin Peay State University art students, pictured in their classroom in the Trahern Building, will present several art shows and exhibits this fall on campus. Members of the class are (from top left) Tina Gould, Claire Meriwether, Rayven Collins, Lindsey Ward, (second row) Evelyn Matherly, Zack Parrish, Gregg Schlanger, professor of art, Janelle Costello and Megan Hydrick. (Photo By Charles Booth/APSU Public Relations and Marketing)

The APSU Department of Art has scheduled these student art exhibitions on the main campus for this fall, and all shows are open to the public.

The seniors scheduled to present are the following:

• Nov. 2-6: Evelyn Matherly, Trahern, 108.
• Nov. 9-13: Janelle Costello, Trahern, 108.
• Nov. 16-20: Rayven Collins, Trahern, 108.
• Nov. 23-27: Lindsey Ward, Trahern, 108.
• Nov. 30-Dec. 4: Megan Hydrick, Trahern, 108.
• Dec. 7-11: Claire Meriwether, Trahern, 108.
• Dec. 7-11: Visual communication group exhibit featuring graphic design work by Zak Parrish and Tina Gould, Trahern Gallery.

For more information, contact Schlanger at 221-7789 or .

The program will be devoted to music from Spain and South America and will feature music by Spanish baroque guitarist Santiago de Murcia, early 20th century Spanish composers Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla, Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla and Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Baden Powell de Aquino. Yates will be assisted by APSU percussion professor David Steinquest on melodic, vibraphone and Latin percussion.

APSU Professor of Music Stanley Yates

The music of Baden Powell de Aquino is rarely played due to the fact that very little of it has been published. Yates will perform a number of pieces he has transcribed from the Brazilian guitarist’s recordings.

Yates recently returned from two trips to Romania, where he was filmed for a documentary aired on national television. He also gave two performances broadcast live from the National Radio Hall in Bucharest, and he recently received a Distinguished Artist Award from Bergen College New Jersey.

Wednesday’s concert is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Yates at 931-221-7351 or .

The brunch will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 31 in the Morgan University Center Ballroom. Cost is $25 per person, and advance reservations are required by Wednesday, Oct. 28. The event is open to the public.

For more information or reservations, call the Alumni Relations Office, (931) 221-7979 or 1-800-264-2586.

The following individuals, with information about each provided, will be presented with outstanding alumni awards:

Outstanding Young Alumnus – Robert James “Jamie” Spicer, M.D. (’94)

Robert James “Jamie” Spicer, M.D. (’94)

Dr. Jamie Spicer, of Gainesville, Fla., may best be remembered around campus for his days playing football with the APSU Governors. He came to the University from Waverly Central High School in Waverly, on a football scholarship and quickly made a name for himself.

After graduating in 1994, he traveled to Europe, where he played football for one season in Nurnberg, Germany, for the Nurnberg Rams. But while a student at APSU, he built the foundations of his future career as a physician, majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. Upon his return to the United States, Spicer resumed those studies by earning a Master of Science degree in biology from Tennessee State University.

He then combined his two interests and took a job as a science teacher and assistant football coach at Joe Shafer Middle School in Sumner County. The following year, Spicer again found himself as a student at Meharry Medical College, where he graduated in May 2005 with a 3.4 GPA.

From there, he traveled to Johnson City, and began an internship in internal medicine at East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine. A year later he headed west, where he entered residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He completed this training in June 2009 and was accepted into a fellowship training program in interventional spine, musculoskeletal and sports medicine.

Spicer now lives with his wife, APSU alumnus Benita (Lester) Spicer, in Gainesville, where he works for the University of Florida’s Shands Hospital. He also works in Valdosta, Ga., evaluating personal injury claims.

Spicer is a licensed physician in both Florida and Georgia.

Outstanding Young Alumna – Bethany McKinney Froboese (’00)

Bethany McKinney Froboese (’00)

Seven years after graduating from APSU with a Bachelors of Science, Dr. Bethany McKinney Froboese found herself back on campus in a very familiar setting. She was in the University’s athletic training room, where she once worked as a student athletic trainer.

She had returned to campus, having earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Belmont University in 2003, to volunteer her time to assist with sports physicals.

This idea of helping out APSU is nothing new to her. In 2003, she gave talks for the APSU National Alumni Association for new student recruitment, and in 2005 and 2006, she volunteered to help with the APSU annual job fair.

Froboese first arrived on campus as a freshman in 1996 and became a student equipment manager for the football team. Knowing she wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy, she became a student athletic trainer the next year – a post she held until graduating in 2000.

From there, it was off to Belmont. After receiving her Doctor of Physical Therapy, she took a job as a physical therapist with Inmotion Rehabilitation. Three year later, she joined Premier Medical Group and, in 2007, she found her current position as a physical therapist with Tennessee Orthopeadic Alliance.

Froboese is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association and is a Susan G. Komen lymphedema treatment provider. She is a certified Lymphedema therapist, a certified clinical instructor and a certified sole supports provider.

Her volunteer work also extends into her community, such as assisting in a one-day teaching experience for Clarksville-Montgomery County School System anatomy and physiology AP classes about physical therapy and physiological principles used for her profession.

Outstanding Service – Mark R. Briggs (’78)

Mark R. Briggs (’78)

Mark Briggs doesn’t have much free time. As CEO of Premier BPO Inc., a global outsourcing company headquartered in Clarksville, he oversees around 800 associates in China, Pakistan and the Philippines who provide services for U.S. and Canadian companies including accounting, purchasing, IT and customer services.

But remaining busy is a way of life for the Clarksville native. After graduating from APSU in 1978, he went to work with the accounting firm KPMG. He then took a job with Ingram Industries, going on in his 11-year career to hold positions of COO and CFO with Ingram Micro.

Briggs went on to serve as CEO of the distribution business Intelligent Electronics, a $4 billion computer reseller. He later founded and served as CEO of ClientLogic Corp., headquartered in Nashville. ClientLogic, now called Sitel, is one of the top three customer relationship outsourcing companies in the world with around 60,000 associates.

In 2003, he founded Premier BPO, but throughout his career, he’s consistently kept busy with other obligations. Briggs is a past chairman of the APSU Foundation. He serves on the board of directors of En Pointe Technologies and SpeechCycle Inc., a privately held speech recognition software company.

He is on the advisory board of Salvation Army of Clarksville and he also serves on the National Gas Acquisition Corp. board and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Board.

In his few remaining off hours, he teaches Sunday school at First Baptist Church and spends time with his wife of 31 years, Beverly, and their two sons Griff, 22, and Alec, 9.

Outstanding Service – Jim Roe (’65)

Jim Roe (’65)

While living in Alabama, Jim Roe thought it’d be nice to get together with some fellow graduates of his alma mater. Rather than traveling all the way back to Clarksville, he opted to seek out those living nearby.

Roe led an effort to establish APSU alumni chapters in Birmingham and Huntsville, serving as president of both chapters and eventually as alumni director for District XI.

The Clarksville native graduated with a physics degree from APSU in 1965 and later did graduate work at the University of Florida and earned an M.B.A. at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Roe’s professional career began by working on NASA projects during the height of the space race between the United States and the former Soviet Union. Among his many assignments, he simulated propulsions for the Saturn V rocket and conducted reliability studies on Saturn V systems.

He eventually moved into academia, accepting the position of computer services director and instructor in computer science at Athens State University. While at the school, he co-designed the curriculum for a computer science minor and a computer science concentration for the technical management major.

Roe returned to the aerospace industry as project manager for Intermetrics, where he developed software for the Space Experiments Particle Accelerators (SEPAC) for NASA. He moved back and forth between academia and the aerospace industry in the years that followed, working as the manager for the Macy Center for Academic Computing at UAB and later leading the development of electronic commerce solutions for NASA, including an electronic data interchange system.

He ended his illustrious career, after having garnered numerous awards and authoring several academic papers, working in business development for Lockheed Martin.

Throughout those years, he found time to promote his alma mater. Aside from forming new alumni chapters, he is a member of the Governors Club and serves as a board member for the APSU Foundation. He also played a key role in developing an on campus “Career Day” in which APSU alumni mentor undergraduate students.

Outstanding Alumnus – Larry W. Carroll (’76)

Larry W. Carroll (’76)

In 1980, Larry Carroll took a chance and opened his own financial planning firm. He left a good paying job and placed his success on a simple concept – “The best interest of the client is the only interest that matters.”

Almost three decades later, the decision has more than paid off. The APSU grad is president and CEO of Carroll Financial, which currently manages or supervises more than $1 billion in advisory and brokerage assets and employs 10 certified financial planner practitioners.

The firm’s astounding success has led Carroll to be featured regularly in many of the country’s top financial publications. He has been named to Worth Magazine’s listing of The Nation’s Most Exclusive Wealth Managers 12 times. In 2007 and 2008, he was listed on Barron’s first two annual lists of “the Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors.” In 2007, he was also honored as one of the 10 “Outstanding Advisors of 2007” by Registered Rep magazine.

Carroll has also been interviewed in Money, Newsweek, The New York Times, Medical Economics, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, U.S. News and World Report, American Banker and other magazines. He also appeared on “The NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.”

He is a past national chairman of the 24,000-member Financial Planning Association, and his firm continues to build off the success of that basic premise of serving the client’s best interest.

“I think our clients find comfort in the fact that while they will only retire once, we’ve been through the process many times,” he has said.

Carroll also serves as chairman of the board of Park Sterling Bank. He and his wife of 36 years, Vivian, are committed to numerous charities, including the YMCA, the American Red Cross and the Cultural and Heritage Foundation of York County.

Outstanding Alumnus – David Alford (’89)

David Alford (’89)

Shortly after graduating from Austin Peay State University, David Alford packed his bags and headed to New York City.

He was joining the thousands who flock to that city each year in the hopes of pursing a career as an actor. But unlike some of his fellow travelers, Alford had a leg up – he was accepted into the esteemed Juilliard School of Drama at Lincoln Center.

It was a smart move for the Adams native. After being awarded the Saint-Denis Prize upon graduating in 1991, he embarked on a long, successful career in the field of drama as an actor, writer, director and producer that continues to flourish today.

In the years that followed, Alford has appeared in more than 50 professional theater productions, including David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross” and Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Tempest.” He also received an Ingram Fellowship for Acting through the Tennessee Arts Commission in 1996.

In the early 1990s, he co-founded the Mockingbird Theatre in Nashville, a professional nonprofit company, and he served as its artistic director until 2004.

For the next three years, he worked as executive artistic director of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville, and in 2007, he became the Rep’s first artist-in-residence.

But his talents haven’t been relegated to only the stage. He’s appeared in numerous films, such as the 2001 Robert Redford movie “The Last Castle” and the 2006 Michael W. Smith feature “The Second Chance.”

When not acting, he can often be found working behind the scenes as both a writer and director. His film “Prisoner,” which he wrote and directed, was a finalist in 2004 for HBO’s “Project Greenlight” competition.

He recently finished work on his first musical, “Smoke,” which focuses on the tobacco wars that took place in northern middle Tennessee early last century, and he intends to direct and appear in the project in the coming months.

A Honeybee exiting a Honeysuckle flower

Some of Tennessee’s smallest inhabitants are finally getting their due next week. That’s because Governor Phil Bredesen is recognizing the “important role” insects play in the lives of humans by proclaiming Oct. 11 through Oct. 17 as “Tennessee Entomology Week.”

This designation corresponds with the 36th Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Entomological Society (TES), which brings together the top scientists in the state who specialize in studying insects.

This year’s meeting will be held Oct. 15-16 at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville, and it will recognize excellence in the field of entomology by both professionals with years of experience and up-and-coming high school students.

Phillip Adams, a home-schooled senior from Burns, will receive the Harry E. Williams Award during the meeting. The award is given annually to a high school junior or senior 4-H entomology state winner to encourage youths in this field.

The Richard E. Caron Outstanding Entomologist Award will also be presented during this year’s meeting to Dr. Reid Gerhardt. Gerhardt is a retired professor of veterinary and medical entomology at the University of Tennessee. During a career spanning more than 30 years, he conducted important research and authored numerous papers on the control and distribution of arthropods that attack and annoy humans, livestock and wild animals.

Registration starts at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, and the meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Region 2 Conference Room. Dr. Keith S. Delaplane will deliver the keynote address, “Honey Bee Decline and Why it Matters.” It’s an unsettling and important topic, given that about one-third of human food supplies are dependent on bee pollination.

Delaplane is a professor and Walter B. Hill Fellow at the University of Georgia, Athens, where he is responsible for research, teaching and public service in honeybees and pollination.

He is national director of the $4.1 million Managed Pollinator Coordinated Agricultural Project, a consortium of researchers and extension specialists at 17 institutions, including the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The project is charged with addressing honeybee declines through research and extension.

TES will also host an Insect Fair for students from neighboring Crieve Hall Elementary School on Thursday morning. More than 50 students will gather in the Ed Jones Auditorium on the EAC campus, where they’ll be introduced to the field of entomology through this fair.

Anyone with an interest in entomology is encouraged to attend the meeting. For more information contact Dr. Steven Hamilton, 931-221-7783 or , or Dr. Don Sudbrink, 931-221-7266 or .

Nashville – Governor Phil Bredesen has proclaimed Oct. 11-17 as Earth Science Week in Tennessee, promoting the important role that geology and other earth sciences play in Tennessee’s safety, health, welfare and economy.

As part of Earth Science Week, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Geology, in partnership with the American Geological Institute, has a limited number of Earth Science Week toolkits to distribute to earth science teachers across the state. This year’s toolkits include posters, calendars, resources and reading materials, field notebooks, and CDs and DVDs, with an emphasis on understanding climate and climate change.

“Earth Science Week provides an opportunity for Tennesseans to seek a greater understanding of the value of research and an appreciation for the importance of finding and conserving mineral, energy and water resources important to the state’s continuing prosperity,” said Bredesen. “I’m pleased we can offer educational tools to earth science teachers to help continue their efforts to raise awareness in the classroom.”

In addition to distributing toolkits, Environment and Conservation’s Division of Geology will work one-on-one with East Tennessee middle and high school students at the 10th Annual Earth Science Week Fair, to be held at the University of Tennessee Department of Earth Planetary Sciences in Knoxville on Oct. 15. The event is free and typically attracts more than 600 students and teachers each year. The Knoxville Division of Geology’s exhibit covers the natural hazards and mineral resources of Tennessee. In addition to posters, rock samples and displays, the exhibit features hands-on activities involving the geology behind sinkhole development, landslide activity, and oil and gas exploration. The Division also will take part in an exhibit on gold panning.

“The earth sciences contribute to the Department of Environment and Conservation’s daily role,” said Commissioner Jim Fyke. “The department’s Division of Geology serves as a great example and works hard on issues critical to environmental health – from water quality to waste disposal.”

This year, approximately 20 governors across the United States will join Governor Bredesen in issuing proclamations that support Earth Science Week, reaching more than 20 million people across the country. As in years past, individuals and groups will celebrate Earth Science Week 2009 by participating in events in all 50 states and 18 countries around the world.

Educators interested in receiving an Earth Science Week toolkit may contact Ron Zurawski at Ronald. or (615) 532-1502. The toolkits are free of charge while supplies last.

For more information about Earth Science Week, please visit www.earthsciweek.org.

The push for state-funded pre-K in Tennessee began in earnest in the early 1990s. Action in both the legislative and executive branches of government produced early childhood policies, proposals for state funding of early childhood education programs, and related rules and regulations. This policy history outlines the origins and development of state-funded pre-kindergarten (pre-K) in Tennessee. Information on program eligibility, funding sources, and new federal grants is also provided.

The policy history may be viewed or downloaded at http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/Repository/RE/PreKHistory.pdf.

Participating students will be chosen from all on-campus Fundamentals of Public Speaking courses. Public speaking is a TBR core requirement for all students, which will allow this debate to reach students in every major and at every stage in their academic career. The AP Debate Forum is an attempt to engage students outside the classroom, as well as to provide them with a platform to use skills and competencies learned in the public speaking course.

In an entertaining twist, audience members will be asked to participate in the debate with nonverbal feedback. Student members of the audience will be provided with a visual tool and asked to show them when in favor of an argument and remove them when not in favor. This feedback is designed to demonstrate effectiveness of persuasive argument and changes in opinion following political debates.

For more information regarding the Fall 2009 AP Debate Forum, contact Stacie Mumpower or Caroline Downes at (931) 221-7378 or by e-mail at or .