Seamus Carey Archives

Four Transylvania students named Fulbright semifinalists

Posted on February 19, 2016July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Four Transylvania University seniors have been named semifinalists for highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants that fund English Teaching Assistantships abroad for the 2016-17 academic year. Samantha Easterling of Wilmore, Ky., McKenzie Gearheart of Pikeville, Ky., Erin Marek of Pataskala, Ohio, and Courtney Smith of Batavia, Ohio, have all been selected based on academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. In the past 10 years, 17 Transylvania students have received Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships, including four last year who are currently serving in Thailand, India, Malaysia and South Korea. “We’re extremely proud of these students,” President Seamus Carey said. “They follow a long line of recent Transylvanians who have been awarded Fulbright grants. It’s evident they are putting in hard work and are receiving excellent preparation from their professors and staff advisers.” “Being named a semifinalist is a testament to the unmatched education I’ve received at Transylvania as well as a validation of all of my hard work these past four years,” said Smith, who is a semifinalist for the Slovak Republic. “I feel so fortunate to be considered for this prestigious award and sincerely hope that Transylvania is well represented when the final grants are released.” The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 as the flagship international educational exchange program and operates in more than 160 countries. “Knowing I might be spending a year in Mongolia seems like something I could only dream of,” Marek said. “My

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Mayor Jim Gray to deliver Transylvania commencement address

Posted on February 1, 2016July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Mayor Jim Gray will give Transylvania University’s commencement address on May 28. The two-term mayor has strong ties to the school, which is dedicated to strengthening its connection to the city. Transylvania and Gray have both shown a strong commitment to Lexington’s Northside Neighborhood in particular. Most recently, Transylvania agreed to partner with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to improve the West Fourth Street streetscape from Upper to Jefferson streets. The university—which is a Northside Neighborhood Association member—also helped with revitalization efforts by transforming an abandoned tobacco warehouse into the Fourth Street Athletics Complex. Gray’s connection to Transylvania is more than civic. His late mother, Lois Howard Gray, graduated from the school in 1940. She was Miss Transylvania that year and later served on the university’s Alumni Board and was on the Board of Trustees for 22 years. Additionally, in 1997 she received the Morrison Medallion, the school’s highest alumni award. “We welcome Mayor Jim Gray to campus as an obvious choice for our next commencement speaker,” President Seamus Carey said. “Transylvania is an integral part of Lexington, and the city—with its plentiful internships and other opportunities—complements our mission as a top-100 national liberal arts university.” The commencement ceremony will be in front of Old Morrison. The historic building is at the center of the city seal, which highlights the importance of the relationship between Transylvania and Lexington. Other recent commencement speakers have included Homaira Akbari, a leading thinker

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Transylvania inducts three standouts into Pioneer Hall of Fame

Posted on October 14, 2015July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University inducted three alumni into the Pioneer Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 10, as part of the Celebration of Transylvania, which culminated in the inauguration of President Seamus Carey. Ethan A. Busald ’05 (pictured left), Carol Munson Caudill ’98 and John Mark Stuart ‘95 became the newest members of the 113-member fraternity. “Participation in athletics provides student-athletes with valuable life lessons including teamwork, perseverance and leadership, to name a few,” Vice President of Athletics Holly Sheilley said. “Ethan, Carol and John have translated these life lessons not only during their time as student-athletes at Transylvania but also into their professional lives. We are honored to have them inducted.” Busald made his mark as an exceptional tennis player, earning the title of HCAC Athlete of the Decade. His accomplishments also include being the first in conference history to earn four MVP awards; and he never lost a conference singles or doubles match, winning titles in both categories at No. 1 each of his four years. Additionally, Sports Illustrated recognized Ethan in its “Faces in the Crowd.” He went on to graduate from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase School of Law in 2009. Caudill took to the field for Transylvania in a variety of sports— from field hockey to softball to soccer. In field hockey, she was named MVP in 1997 and Most Improved Player her first year. And she earned spots on the KWIC Tournament field hockey and softball

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The Door, the Light, and the Liberal Arts

Posted on October 9, 2015July 14, 2020 by President Seamus Carey

The following is the transcript of Dr. Carey’s speech during his installation ceremony as Transylvania University’s 26th president. I. Distinguished Guests, Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, Delegates, Neighbors, Friends, thank you for being here today. Your presence here brings me honor, but more importantly, it honors Transylvania University and I am grateful for that. Regardless of how hard we tried to streamline this occasion, getting here today involved a lot of work by a lot of people. I want to thank the inauguration committee, led by our vice president for communications, Michele Sparks and our academic vice president, Laura Bryan. I want to thank Rachel Millard, my executive assistant, who has been essential in keeping me on track this past year, and I want to thank everyone across the campus who helped to put this all together.

Transylvania presidential inauguration Oct. 9

Posted on October 5, 2015July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University installed Seamus Carey as its 26th president on Friday, Oct. 9, in Haggin Auditorium. Carey, who became president in July of 2014, is transforming the university through positive changes such as the appointment of Laura Bryan as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university, the 100 Doors to Success mentoring program and the Project One diversity initiative. Other innovative improvements are campus-wide building projects that include the construction of three new residence halls and the renovation of the J. Douglas Gay Jr./Frances Carrick Thomas Library and the Haupt Humanities Building. “Dr. Carey has already had a significant impact on Transylvania,” said Chairman of the Board of Trustees William T. Young Jr. “His leadership exemplifies his passion for renewal and devotion to the liberal arts.” Young presented Carey with the Presidential Medallion during the installation ceremony. Distinguished visitors and speakers included presidents and officials from other universities and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray. The installation ceremony was the culmination of the four-day Celebration of Transylvania, which included events such as an All-Campus Picnic, concert by renowned Celtic fiddler Eileen Ivers and the dedication of Alumni Plaza. Before coming to Transylvania, Carey served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Also, at Manhattan College he was chair of the philosophy department and School of Arts curriculum committee, a member of the faculty senate and director of the Center for Professional Ethics. He earned an

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