Thursday, July 19, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Diamonds are a scientist’s best friend.

A Chicago company, LifeGem, claims to be able to produce multiple high-quality diamonds—up to a full karat in size—from the carbon contained in the bodies of people or pets, says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry professor. “During the ‘50s, GE (General Electric) used an iron-based catalyst to convert carbon in its abundant graphic form, into the first laboratory-made diamonds,” MacDougall says. “To make the reaction ‘go,’ very high temperatures and a pressure 70,000 times normal atmospheric pressure had to be applied. This necessitated the use of a powerful steel hydraulic press, and I presume similar equipment will be used if you and your relatives decide to start a collection of ‘family jewels.’”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Outstanding in his field—and his stadium, his gym …

In his new job at MTSU, Darrell Towe may be one of the busiest people at the university. Towe is the director of the Murphy Center athletic complex, but his duties also will include overseeing Floyd Stadium, Alumni Memorial Gym, baseball’s Reese Smith Field, the Blue Raider softball field, the new track and field and soccer complex, and the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building. Towe says, “I was expecting to have to juggle multiple projects, and that’s certainly the case. We may have as many as three or four activities going on at the same time on a given day.” Towe, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, was assistant manager of the Tennessee Livestock Center from September 1990 until June 1995. He was director of WKU’s Brown Agricultural Exposition Center in Bowling Green from July 1995 until December 2002.

To request an interview with Towe, contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or 615-898-5616.

To your health

Dr. Valentin Fuster, former president of the American Heart Association, and the insurance company Humana are studying 6,000 high-risk patients in an attempt to learn how they can be persuaded to take steps to prevent health problems. “Dr. Fuster is very right in saying ‘there’s no incentive at all’ for doctors to emphasize preventive medicine,” Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says. “In fact, few nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, dieticians, or any health professional(s) would have jobs if the entire population was healthy. Hospitals would close if all were healthy with no broken bones, cuts or burns. (Well, the maternity ward would stay in business.)”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2091.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.