The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter | Feb. 3, 2020

addenda Shakespeare comes to UT Martin on Feb. 11

The American Shakespeare Center’s national tour of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will perform at both 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., Feb. 11, in Harriet Fulton Theatre, located inside the Fine Arts Building. The early performance is limited to reserved high school student groups and UT Martin students, and admission is free. The evening performance is open to the local community, and general admission tickets are $10 each.

The student show will end with a question-and-answer session between the audience and cast members. The house opens at 9:30 a.m. with the performance running from 10 a.m.-noon. The house opens for the evening show at 7:30 p.m., and the performance runs from approximately 8-10 p.m. There will be no question-and-answer session following the evening performance.

Tickets for the public show will be available from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 11, in the UT Martin Honors Programs office in the Holland McCombs Center. Those interested can call 731-881-7436 for assistance. Tickets will also be available in the Fine Arts Building Lobby beginning at 6 p.m., Feb. 11.

When asked about the value of William Shakespeare’s work for modern audiences, Sophia Beratta, who plays Quince in the production, said Shakespearean plays give audiences a chance to see the value potential of the English language.

“I think Shakespeare has

a reverence and irreverence of language that today’s audiences have lost. … He takes the colloquial and makes it meaningful. He takes the long, complicated, hard-to-pronounce words and makes them comical. Modern audiences should really take this as permission to have fun with language again,” she said.

While some may view Shakespeare’s works as relics from a time past, Andrew Tung, who plays Snug in this production, disagrees. “The characters in Shakespeare’s works are generally well-

rounded, complex portrayals of humanity. The relationships between those characters at their cores are identical to the relationships we make and break in contemporary society,” he says. “Most people know what it’s like to argue with a sibling, or play hard-to-get with a lover, or work to convince a superior or subordinate to agree with them, and these are the same types of happenings the characters in Shakespeare’s works live through.”

“(A Midsummer Night’s Dream) offers, and delivers on, the promise that somehow,

despite all appearances to the contrary, everything wrong will be set right, and even the biggest fumblings of your life will be well-received by those around you. It’s a nice break from the heaviness of reality and the modern world,” Tung continued.

Both performances are sponsored by UT Martin Honors Programs, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 731-881-7436.

SHAKESPEARE TOUR – This production poster was provided by the American Shakespeare Center.

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YoUTMs

Welcome New Employees

This section is used to welcome new faculty and staff members as the information becomes available from the Office of Human Resources.

•Christina Jo Sumner is a customer service representative in the Bursar’s Office.

•Benjamin Evans is a custodian in Custodial Services.

•Ryan Osborn is an assistant football coach in the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics.

•Jay MacIntyre is an assistant football coach in the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics.

In Memory

Dr. Carol Eckert, professor of art and interim chair of the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts, recently received the 2020 Tennessee Art Educator Award from the National Art Education Association. This award, selected after peer-reviewed nominations, honors an outstanding member from each state or province association whose service and contribution to art education merits recognition. The award will officially be presented during the NAEA National Convention, held March 26-28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

WALL OF EXCELLENCE – The UT Martin Parsons Center honored the late Melvin Taylor, a major donor to the center, with the first installment on the UT Martin Parsons Center Wall of Excellence. Taylor made several contributions to help establish the UT Martin Parsons Center, and the Parsons Decatur County Higher Education Foundation has committed three $2,000 scholarships in his memory. Pictured (above, l-r) are Erica Bell, executive outreach director; Mayor Tim David Boaz, city of Parsons; Tim Leitch and John Ayers, members of the Parsons Decatur County Higher Education Committee; Dr. Kelli Deere, center director; Rebecca Taylor and Erica Pritchard, Taylor’s wife and daughter, respectively; and Jason Rushing, former center director. (Below) Taylor’s daughter, Erica Pritchard (left), and wife, Rebecca Taylor are shown on either side of his memorial plaque on the Wall of Excellence.

Joel Stowers, professor emeritus of library science and former director of the Paul Meek Library, died Jan. 19 at the age of 87. He served UT Martin for 29 years before his retirement in 1999. Funeral services were held Jan. 22 at Athens First United Methodist Church in Athens, Georgia, where Stowers and his wife have lived since leaving Martin.

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UT Martin will host the annual Phi Kappa Phi Muriel Tomlinson Memorial Lecture on “What is Eternal Life? St. Thomas Aquinas on the Nature of Heaven” at 7 p.m., Feb. 4, in the Boling University Center’s Watkins Auditorium.

Dr. Christopher Brown, UT Martin professor of philosophy, will discuss the relationship between St. Thomas Aquinas, Heaven and the idea of eternal life. Brown received his doctoral degree at Saint Louis University in 2002 and has been teaching at UT Martin for the past 18 years. He has published articles in the “Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association,” “The Thomist,”

Dr. Chris Brown to present Phi Kappa Phi Muriel Tomlinson

Memorial Lecture Tuesday night

“The American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly” and “Faith and Philosophy.” His forthcoming book, “St. Thomas Aquinas on God and Perfect Human Happiness: Solving Problems Concerning Eternal Life,” will be published by Catholic University of America Press.

Phi Kappa Phi is a national honor society whose mission is to recognize and encourage superior scholarship and integrity in all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 127 was founded on the UT Martin campus in 1971 and hosts the Muriel Tomlinson Memorial Lecture each spring.

UT Martin and West Texas A&M University have partnered to host the Experiential Learning Leadership Institute on March 25-27 at Discovery Park of America in Union City.

The institute will focus on active, hands-on learning and how it can be applied in classrooms at all levels to improve student comprehension. Registration is $275 for those presenting in a concurrent session, $50 for university students and $75 for area K-12 educators and community participants.

March 25 will offer on-site experiential leadership training modules for those educators who are already participating

in that program. Concurrent presentation sessions will begin at 9 a.m., March 26, and end with dinner and a keynote speaker at 6 p.m. that evening. The conference will conclude March 27 with poster presentations by student researchers.

Educators who wish to register for module trainings on March 25 should submit registration information by Feb. 28. Registration for all other participants must be received by March 15. Interested individuals can register online.

Contact Dr. Lajuan Davis, associate professor of information systems, at ldavis91@utm.edu or 731-881-7364 for more information.

UT Martin to co-host Experiential Learning Leadership Institute with

West Texas A&M University

The Blair String Quartet, currently the string quartet-in-residence at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, will perform at 3 p.m., Feb. 9, in Harriet Fulton Theatre, located inside the Fine Arts Building.

General admission tickets are $10 per person and $5 for non-UT Martin students and children 12 years old and under. UT Martin students are admitted free with valid ID. Tickets can be purchased online at utm.edu/musicevents or at the door on concert night.

In addition to their work at Vanderbilt University, the Blair String Quartet has performed at the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, New York’s 92nd Street Y and at Merkin Concert Hall. They have also served in residence at the Aspen Music Festival, the Meadowmount School of Music

and the Sewanee Music Festival in the United States, as well as the first International Music Festival in Portillo and Santiago, Chile.

The quartet, currently comprised of violinists Stephen Miahky and Connie Heard with violist John Kochanowski and cellist Felix Wang, performed

Blair String Quartet to perform at UT Martin on Feb. 9

Musicians Felix Wang, John Kochanowski, Connie Heard and Stephen Maihky are the current members of the Blair String Quartet, currently the quartet-in-residence at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.

widely on National Public Radio for several years and was a featured quartet on a public television series called “Recital Hall.” Their recordings are available internationally.

Their UT Martin appearance is sponsored by Dr. Elaine Harriss, UT Martin professor of music, and is a featured

performance in the UT Martin Ed Sargent Guest Artist Series.

For more information on the quartet, visit my.vanderbilt.edu/blairstringquartet. For information and assistance obtaining performance tickets, contact the UT Martin Department of Music at 731-881-7402.

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BILL AND ROSANN NUNNELLY NAMED PHILANTHROPISTS OF THE YEAR – Bill and Rosann Nunnelly, of Nashville, received the Philanthropist of the Year Award from the University of Tennessee President’s Council during a dinner Jan. 31 at Discovery Park of America. Their $22 million bequest to fund scholarships at UT Martin is the largest in university history and could provide as many as 90 scholarships each year when the gift is realized. They are pictured during the dinner with UT System Interim President Randy Boyd (far left). Read more about the Nunnellys in the spring 2020 edition of UT Martin’s Campus Scene alumni magazine.

WestStar Leadership Program announces class of 2020UT Martin’s WestStar

Leadership Program’s class of 2020 includes 29 business and education leaders from 18 West Tennessee counties. The following class participants are noted with the business or organization affiliation and home county:

•Andy Anderson, attorney and sole practitioner at Anderson Law Office, Henderson County;•Jennifer Bane, executive director of the Northwest Tennessee Workforce Board, Weakley County;•Monte Belew, sheriff at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Henry County; •Lowell Beller, service manager of Central Distributors, Madison County; •Dr. Cheryl Browne, retired physician, Fayette County; •Jason Compton, director of operations of the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex, Madison County; •Chris Donaldson, owner and operator of Tencom Services, Dyer County;

•Debbie Dunaway, executive assistant for Southwest Tennessee Development District, Madison County; •Kyle East, financial representative with WoodmenLife & Woodmen Financial Services, Crockett County;•Mike Enoch, plant manager of Marvin Windows and Doors of Tennessee, Lauderdale County; •Dr. Norma Gerrell, director of schools for Paris Special School District, Henry County; •Monica Heath, interim director of the McKenzie Industrial Board, Carroll County; •Jessica Huff, director of tourism at McNairy County Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce, McNairy County;•Barry Hutcherson, mayor of Chester County, Chester County;•George Leake, supervisor of secondary instruction for Obion County Schools, Obion County; •Dr. Jamie Mantooth, executive director of enrollment services

and student engagement for the University of Tennessee at Martin, Weakley County; •Lee Mills, captain at FedEx Express, Shelby County; •Victor Parkins, owner and publisher of the Gibson County Publishing Newspaper Group, Gibson County; •Jennifer Perryman, executive director of Savannah Industrial Development Corporation, Hardin County;•Jessi Pruett, attorney with Byrd and Byrd, Attorneys at Law, PLLC, Gibson County; •Teresa Russell, instructional coach at Haywood County Board of Education, Haywood County; •Shalondria Shaw, community development and engagement liaison for the city of Brownsville, Haywood County; •Dakota Simpson, governor’s management fellow for the state of Tennessee, Dyer County, •Ty Smithson, loan officer at Greenfield Banking Company, Weakley County; •Katelyn Spivey, marketing director at Carroll Bank and

Trust, Benton County; •DeLaney Timberman, executive director of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, Hardin County; •Jamey Tosh, owner and partner of Tosh Farms, Henry County; •Wendell Wainwright, chairperson pro temp of the Fayette County Pubic Schools District, Fayette County; •William Wooten, president of the Wooten Law Office, LLC; Tipton County.

Participants attend a series of sessions held through June focusing on topics such as economic development, public policy, education and technology. The WestStar Leadership Program was founded at UT Martin in 1989 and is the state’s oldest and largest regional leadership program. The program equips regional leaders with new skills and knowledge designed to impact the educational, economic and social development of West Tennessee.

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WESTTEACH GRADUATES SECOND CLASS – Twenty-two West Tennessee educators completed WestTeach during a graduation ceremony Jan. 28. WestTeach is sponsored by the WestStar Leadership Program and focuses on five sessions designed to promote leadership among educators and help them better understand the challenges facing the region and their individual communities. Pictured are (front row, l-r) Stacey McAdams, Bells Elementary School, Bells; Lindsey Walker, Union City Middle School, Union City; Colette Carrabba, Chester County Junior High School, Henderson; Madine Nichols, Selmer Elementary School, Selmer; Brittan Knott, Martin Elementary School, Martin; Meredith McMackins, Finley Elementary School, Finley; Christina Warren, LaGrange-Moscow Elementary School, Moscow; Sharon Clark, East Side Intermediate School, Brownsville; Catherine Nailling, Lake Road Elementary School, Union City; Anne Ladd Welch, Dyersburg Primary School, Dyersburg; (back row) Dr. Charley Deal, WestStar executive director; Chad Davis, Halls High School, Halls; Paul Richards, Bradford High School, Bradford; Nichole Lusk, Hardin County High School, Savannah; Amanda Pruitt, Huntingdon High School, Huntingdon; Sarah Comuzie, Camden Central High School, Camden; Brittany Fowler, West Carroll Elementary School, Trezevant; Ronny Criswell, Trenton Elementary School, Trenton; Beth Smith, Brighton Elementary School, Brighton; Cara Chadwick, Carroll County Technical Center, Huntingdon; Carrie Jones, Inman Middle School, Paris; Shelly Russell, Bargerton Elementary School, Lexington; and Virginia Grimes, WestStar program coordinator. Not pictured is Cary Bivens from Riverside High School in Decaturville.

OFFICER SWORN IN – Officer Shaun Phinnessee (left), of Milan, was sworn in Jan. 27 as part of the UT Martin Department of Public Safety. He took his oath from Chancellor Keith Carver.

Be an advocate! Stay informed.

advocacy.tennessee.edu

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addendaPublished weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin, TN 38238

Randy Boyd – Interim President, University of Tennessee System • Dr. Keith Carver Jr. – Chancellor • Erin Chesnut – Addenda Editor UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. E05-0425-00-001-20

•Feb. 4-22 – League of Striving Artists exhibition; Fine Arts Building Gallery; 1-5 p.m. weekdays•Feb. 4 – Phi Kappa Phi Muriel Tomlinson Memorial Lecture; Watkins Auditorium; 7 p.m.•Feb. 6 – Women’s basketball vs. Tennessee Tech; Elam Center; 5:30 p.m.•Feb. 6 – Men’s basketball vs. Tennessee Tech; Elam Center; 7:30 p.m.•Feb. 7 – WestStar Working Women’s Conference; Duncan

Upcoming EventsBallroom; 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.•Feb. 8-9 – OVC Rifle Championships•Feb. 8 – Women’s basketball vs. Jacksonville State; Elam Center; 2 p.m.•Feb. 8 – Men’s basketball vs. Jacksonville State; Elam Center; 4 p.m.•Feb. 9 – Ed Sargent Guest Artist Series: Blair String Quartet; Fulton Theatre; 3 p.m.•Feb. 11 – Panel: “How should UTM administration respond to white supremacy violence

You Tell Me•Question – Construction work is taking place on the east side of Cooper Hall. What kind of work is being done?

•Answer – According to Tim Nipp, director of the UT Martin Physical Plant, this work is actually taking place at the south chiller plant just east of Cooper Hall. Workers are adding onto the existing building and installing a new chiller, which will account for the additional square footage added to campus with the new Latimer Engineering and Science Building. The addition of this chiller will provide four chillers in the south plant, three chillers in the north plant and two chillers serving the Elam Center and Skyhawk Fieldhouse. The building addition and chiller installation will be completed this summer.

Submit your questions anonymously to the Suggestion Box link at www.utm.edu/suggestionbox.

E gage the timesN

•Feb. 7 – “Should college professors have leisure time?”•Feb. 14 – “Valentine’s Day: What is love?”•Feb. 21 – “What is Weakley County doing about the opioid crisis?”

•Feb. 28 – “Is addiction a disease?”•March 27 – “Does embodied teaching still matter?”•April 3 – “What are Blue Zones? Epigenetics and diet”•April 17 – “Earth Week: Why do people still think climate change is a hoax?”

Noon on Fridays; Skyhawk Dining Hall, room 125; Bring your lunch

on campus?”; Boling University Center, room 111; 7 p.m.•Feb. 11 – American Shakespeare Center performs “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”; Fulton Theatre; 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.•Feb. 12 – Steve Darling, faculty tuba recital; Blankenship Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m.•Feb. 13 – Softball vs. Green Bay; Bettye Giles Softball Field; noon and 2 p.m.•Feb. 15 – Women’s basketball vs. Eastern Illinois; Elam Center;

2 p.m.•Feb. 15 – Men’s basketball vs. Eastern Illinois; Elam Center; 4 p.m.•Feb. 15 – Jackson Symphony Valentine Pops with UT Martin choir; Carl Perkins Civic Center, Jackson; 7:30 p.m.•Feb. 20 – Equestrian vs. SMU; Ned Ray McWherter Agricultural Complex•March 1 – Deadline for grant proposals through the UT Martin Center for Sustainability