Organic Chemistry Students Selected for Elite Research Program at Vanderbilt University

     SMYRNA -- Motlow Smyrna Organic Chemistry students William "Vince" Murphy and Jasper Emerton were selected among Middle Tennessee community college students and invited to participate in a paid full-time 10-week summer research program in the lab of Dr. Nathan Schley, assistant professor of chemistry at Vanderbilt University. This research experience opportunity is being funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry. In addition to the hands-on research, Murphy and Emerton were invited to attend weekly programmatic offerings organized by the Vanderbilt NSF-REU program in Chemical Biology. This offer represents the start of a new partnership between Dr. Nathan Schley of Vanderbilt University and Motlow State Community College Organic Chemistry Instructor Nathan Fisher to allow local community college students the opportunity to perform summer scientific research. Community college students have traditionally been underrepresented within academic laboratories. Participation in this program will allow Motlow students to augment their application to graduate programs in chemistry. According to Fisher, the plan is to expand the program to students from other local community colleges beginning next year, with the aim to support additional students in the future. 

From left, Organic Chemistry Professor Nathan Fisher works with his student, William "Vince" Murphy. (Photo by Charles Whiting)

Professor Nathan Fisher completes a project with his student, William "Vince" Murphy. (Photo by Charles Whiting)

Organic chemistry student Jasper Emerton. (Photo provided by Jasper Emerton)

Vandy Baseball to Struggle Even After Thumping MTSU

 

By Thomas Zaleski

Motlow Buzz Reporter

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- - The Vanderbilt University baseball team defeated Middle Tennessee State University, 19-1, at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., on April 15 with 2,364 people in attendance, but Vanderbilt continues to struggle this season.

Coach Tim Corbin and the Commodores thumped MTSU after a great pitching performance by Vanderbilt starting pitcher Walker Buehler, a sophomore from Lexington, Ky. Buehler pitched 5.1 innings, giving up only three hits and one run, and striking out nine MTSU batters. It was one of the best outings Buehler has had this season and was much needed for the struggling 'Dores.

Vanderbilt started the game off on the right foot to say the least. The 'Dores opened up the game by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, and they never looked back. The team poured in another four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and slammed the door shut on the Blue Raiders after scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

            The 'Dores were led by Xavier Turner, a sophomore third baseman from Sandusky, Ohio, who extended his hitting streak to an SEC-best 23 games with an RBI double to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Turner has been Vanderbilt’s most reliable hitter on the season. Turner is batting .310 and has two home runs, along with 26 RBI’s on the year.

“I was just pleased with Walker more than anything,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. “He established himself right out of the gates, which was good for us because you’re coming out of a weekend where we lost and we needed some good mojo to start. I think he did that. The energy, the pace, the delivery was on queue."

As of April 14, Vanderbilt is 29-10 overall this season and 8-10 in the SEC, which is a huge disappointment following the 2013 season. In 2013, the Commodores ended the regular season 54-12 overall and 26-3 in the SEC. The 26 SEC wins set a record in the Southeastern Conference for conference wins in a single season.

“We really aren’t worried about the regular season records and standing, but here at Vanderbilt we have big expectations from our baseball program in the post season, especially after being ranked in the top five for the first half of the season this year,” said current MTSU student and lifelong Vanderbilt fan Tyler Short. “With that being said, I still believe with the talent on this roster Vandy should be winning more games than they have at this point in the season."

The Commodores, ranked 15th in the nation, look to finish the season strong with a series win against the Arkansas Razorbacks, a single game against the Memphis Tigers, a series against the Georgia Bulldogs, a series against the Missouri Tigers, a series against the Florida Gators, and the final series on the season against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

For more information on Vanderbilt baseball, visit www.vucommorodores.com

###

Nashville Celebrates the Nations

By Katherine Ferrer

Motlow Buzz Reporter

 

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Many different ethnic communities surrounding Nashville, Tenn., celebrated the “Festival of Nations” on April 12 at the Global Mall at the Crossings with cultural dances, ethnic foods and diverse festivities.

            The “Festival of Nations” hosted many different ethnic groups, from Saudi Arabians to Filipinos to Africans to Mexicans. Dozens of participants sang traditional songs, performed cultural dances, and sold ethnic foods. The “Festival of Nations” began in 2004 and has been celebrated every year since toward the beginning of spring.

            The Filipino American Association of Tennessee was one of the groups that attended this festival, participating in cultural dances and allowing people to sign up to become a member. The FAAT donates some of its profits to other volunteer organizations and to the Philippines for the recovery of the recent typhoon that struck the island.

Filipino performers setting up the stage to sing at the "Festival of Nations".

            The traditional Filipino dances were performed by Vanderbilt University undergraduates and their leader, Kendric Ng. The group performed the Tinikling and the Singkil, which involves dancing over moving bamboo sticks, and the Banku-Bangkuan, which involves dancing and jumping over stacked benches.

“We made this group for Vanderbilt University undergraduates to learn more about other cultures and to experience the culture first hand, by dancing,” said Ng. “We also perform many other cultural dances. For example, we performed a cultural Chinese dance at the Chinese New Year celebration this year.”

            More than $100 was raised during the “Festival of Nations” event to go toward the FAAT and the typhoon recovery. Motlow State Community College also held a cultural day in 2013 to raise money to send to the Philippines for the typhoon recovery.

            “The tremendous efforts seen by the Nashville people today is what keeps our hope alive for the recovery of the ones hit by the typhoon,” said the FAAT President Jaycel Montealegre. “Events like the 'Festival of Nations' encourages people to help and to learn more about other countries in need.”

            For more information about the “Festival of Nations” or how to become a member of the Filipino American Association of Tennessee, visit www.festivalofthenations.org/ or www.filamoftn.org/.

###