MTSU College of Liberal Arts

Thanks to WGNS Radio for featuring two CLA stories this week! CLA Strategic Communications Manager Matthew Hibdon discussed the upcoming "Joys of the Season" premiere on WNPT - Nashville PBS and Professor Sean Foley (History) showcased his new Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) course on The History of Global Aviation. Visit this link to read more and listen to their segments: https://lnkd.in/eu2CxsDX.

Debrah Sickler-Voigt (Art & Design) recently joined Laura Schweizer and MTSU alum Stephanie Langston on WKRN News 2's "Local on 2" show. Sickler-Voigt shared how to create a one of a kind stamped, flour clay ornament with haiku keepsake for this holiday season. Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gXVrEY86.

CONGRATULATIONS: MTSU World Languages, Literatures and Cultures professor Joan McRae received two nationally recognized honors recently — a $121,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the national Online Teaching Award from the Distance Learning Special Interest Group of the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages, a professional organization that connects foreign language teachers from all educational levels. #trueBLUE #grants #findYOURblue #onlineteaching #onlinelearning

MTSU College of Liberal Arts alumna Alice Hudson (’69), a trailblazer in the field of cartography, passed away on November 6 in Manhattan at the age of 77. Over a distinguished career spanning decades, Alice transformed the The New York Public Library's Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division into one of the world’s largest and most accessible public map collections. Serving as its chief from 1981 to 2009, she doubled the collection to over 400,000 maps and 24,000 atlases, elevating the division to international prominence and drawing comparisons to the Library of Congress and the British Library. Once called “a poet of place” by the New York Times, Alice’s work went beyond expanding collections; she curated exhibitions highlighting how geography shaped American history and showcased the often-overlooked contributions of women to the field of cartography. In 1977, she co-founded the New York Map Society, fostering a community dedicated to cartographic study and education. Her passion for mentorship was evident through her teaching roles at institutions like Pratt Institute, where she inspired the next generation of map librarians and scholars. In recognition of her impact, she was awarded the prestigious Sloan Public Service Award in 2001 and was honored as MTSU's 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for Professional Achievement. In 2018, the New York Map Society established the Alice Hudson Award, celebrating excellence in geography and mapmaking among students at Hunter College—a fitting tribute to a life dedicated to expanding knowledge and inspiring others. Hudson’s 1969 bachelor’s degree in geography from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) served her well as she navigated technological changes in both cartography and library science over the years. In a 2012 article in CLA magazine, Hudson discussed the brave new worlds of Google Earth and MapQuest. “I think they’re a lot of fun because they brought a lot more people to the importance of geography and spatial relationships,” Hudson says. The librarian who took her geography courses in Kirksey Old Main retained a fondness for the tactile sensation of holding a map. Hudson stated in a 2012 interview with MTSU, “I like to have the map in my hand where I can see the entire map of the state of Tennessee, not just a three-inch square in my car.” Hudson considered her paramount achievement the cofounding of a group called the Mercator Society to raise money to expand and maintain the library’s world-renowned map division. Alice Hudson’s legacy will continue to guide and inspire, much like the maps she so passionately curated. 💙 Read her obituary in the New York Times: https://lnkd.in/dnzJrv3M 📷: Alice Hudson in the map room of the New York Public Library in 2005. Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Mary Beth Asbury, professor and chair of the MTSU Department of Communication Studies, understands the impact of communication in our everyday lives. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, Asbury visited the WKRN News 2 studio to share three tips for handling difficult conversations and topics that may occur during family gatherings. Follow the link to read her tips and watch the full interview with WKRN's Laura Schweizer and Stephanie Langston. https://lnkd.in/e3m6hy2h

MTSU English Graduate Program student and CLA graduate assistant Rachel Booher was selected to attend the Tremont Writers Conference, a partnership between Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Smokies Life. Read about her reflections and being able to collaborate with other writers.

Congrats to these five CLA alumni will soon begin their yearlong post teaching in Japan as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program(me) (JET). https://lnkd.in/ePpwSJ42

As part of MTSU’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the In Process Creative Writing Series recently hosted Latino author Luivette Resto. She met with students and discussed the process of her poetry. Resto is an award-winning poet, a mother of three revolutionary humans, and a middle school English teacher. She was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico but proudly raised in the Bronx. She is a CantoMundo and Macondo Fellow and a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her two books of poetry Unfinished Portrait and Ascension have been published by Tía Chucha Press. Her third poetry collection Living on Islands Not Found on Maps was published by FlowerSong Press in 2022. Resto’s work has been mentioned in the Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine, and North American Review. She is the associate editor of Tía Chucha Press, and she sits on the boards for Women Who Submit and Beyond Baroque. She lives in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles.

Now through Election Day (November 5) you can see historical campaign materials collected by the late Johnny Hayes, a Gallatin businessman and public servant whose passion for Tennessee and American politics led him to assemble a rich collection of political memorabilia, now housed at the Albert Gore Research Center. Former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell attended the exhibit opening on October 1 in the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Todd Art Gallery. https://lnkd.in/eapqmCDH

It's Tee-shirt Tuesday in MTSU College of Liberal Arts! This week's focus is CLA's Artful Wellness Event for the entire Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Community! CLA team member, Dr. Lucy Langworthy, organized this event to explore ways that art, play, drama, music, and writing can lower stress and help sort out painful emotions. CLA advisors, Ja'Net Davis and Amber Brodnax showed up to support our students too! Focusing on wellness on a Tee-shirt Tuesday? I'm here for that. This is ARTS IN ACTION! #wellness #art #music #drama #writing #liberalarts #teeshirttuesday #trueblue