MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is saluting 229 longtime faculty and staff employees for their 4,160 combined years of service devoted to students and the campus community.
Honorees and guests gathered earlier this month for a special luncheon and reception in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building, where the employees were recognized in five-year increments, beginning with their 10th anniversaries all the way up to their 40th at the university.
The longest-tenured employees honored this year are:
- Ghassem Homaifar, a professor in the Department of Economics and Finance.
- Teresa King, a recently retired Department of Human Sciencesprofessor.
- Judy Money, student records coordinator for the Registrar's Office.
- Diane Turnham, senior associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator for MTSU Athletics.
2022 marked each of the Murfreesboro residents’ 40th year with the university.
Homaifar’s specialty is finance, and he’s published numerous scholarly articles on the subject, including analyses of the stock market, international credit and exchange rates, economic growth and corporate finance. He’s also the author of the 2007 book "Managing Global Financial and Foreign Exchange Rate Risk."
Among King’s well-known projects during her tenure in the department's acclaimed Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program is her coordination of the university's Historic Clothing Collection, comprising more than 750 items representing styles from 1790 to 1990. They're stored in a climate-controlled lab on campus, and most have been digitally catalogued and are searchable by title, garment, fabric or era via the James E. Walker Library.
Money’s role in the Registrar’s Office is critical to students, alumni and prospective students alike. She and her colleagues maintain records for every student who has attended or applied to MTSU, and they respond to hundreds of inquiries for student transcripts, enrollment verifications and more at the MT One Stop in the Student Services and Admissions Center.
Turnham, who first came to MTSU as an assistant basketball coach and volleyball coach, took her teams to Ohio Valley Conference championships and worked to ensure the university’s compliance with Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. As she rose through the athletic department’s administration, she brought new women’s sports to MTSU, including soccer and golf, and served on national NCAA committees for women’s soccer, volleyball and basketball to help other universities as well as MTSU.
Additional 2022 honorees and their departments include:
25 years of service
- Rodney Clinton, Vehicle Operation, Facilities Services Department.
- Victoria Eastham, Campus Planning.
- Jeffery Gibson, Department of Theatre and Dance.
- Linda Hall, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Dean's Office.
- Meredith Anne Higgs, Department of University Studies.
- Denise Hollowell, Business Office.
- Lisa Johnson, Undergraduate Recruitment, Office of Admissions.
- Ronald Kates, Department of English.
- R. Bryan Kethley, Department of Management.
- William Langston, Department of Psychology.
- Randal Mackin, Department of English.
- Bradley McFalls, Department of Receiving and Moving Services.
- Robert Mogensen, True Blue TV Production Services.
- Richard Pace, Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
- Christopher Quarto, Womack Educational Leadership Department.
- Vicki Sargent, Division of Student Affairs, Enrollment and Academic Services vice president's office.
- Lisa Sheehan-Smith, Department of Human Sciences.
- Toto Sutarso, Academic Instructional Technology Office, Information Technology Division.
- Mark Templeton, MTSU Testing Center, University College.
- Betty Weigant, Construction/Renovation Services, Facilities Services Department.
- Xiaoya Zha, Department of Mathematical Sciences.
30 years of service
- Henrietta Bailey, Political Economy Research Institute.
- Will Brantley, Department of English.
- Becky Bussell, Business Office.
- Wynnifred Counts, Student Athlete Enhancement Center.
- Janet Dutton, AudioVisual Services.
- Stanley Gambill, Department of Information Systems and Analytics.
- Stephen Gossett, Department of Aerospace.
- Timothy Graeff, Department of Marketing.
- Elyce Helford, Department of English.
- Mary Hoffschwelle, Academic Support Service, Provost's Office.
- Robert Holtzclaw, Department of English.
- Tracey Huddleston, Department of Elementary and Special Education.
- Eve Jones, Administrative Information System Services, Information Technology Division.
- Marlene Lane, Department of University Studies.
- Kathy Pelham, Custodial Services, Facilities Services Department.
- Tamala Pincheon, Business Office.
- John Rhodes, Custodial Services, Facilities Services Department.
- Stephen Wright, Department of Biology.
- Emily Zietz, Department of Economics and Finance.
- Jan Zijlstra, Department of Mathematical Sciences.
35 years of service
- Rebecca Calahan, Department of Mathematical Sciences.
- Lalo Davila, School of Music.
- Patricia "Pat" Grimes, College of Education, Dean's Office.
- Jong-Sung Lee, Department of Information Systems and Analytics.
- Franklin Michello, Department of Economics and Finance.
- Michael Principe, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
- Gladys Vaughter, Custodial Services, Facilities Services Department.
- Diane Snodgrass, Office of Audit and Consulting Services.
- Dale Witty, Grounds and Greenhouse Services, Facilities Services Department.
- John Zamora, Department of Biology.
MTSU, which employs more than 2,500 faculty and staff members campuswide, honors its employees regularly with opportunities that include the MTSU Employee Recognition Program awards for administrators, classified and technical/service personnel and the MTSU Foundation Awards and Faculty Recognition presentations each fall.
