TROY News Center

TROY – Troy University is now offering three new online undergraduate degrees to students in Florida.

The new additions – a bachelor of science in anthropology, a bachelor of science in sociology and a bachelor of liberal studies program – brings the number of bachelor degree programs offered in the state to 13, in addition to two associate degree programs and 13 graduate degrees.

The liberal studies program is designed to foster critical thinking and communication skills.

“This degree would be attractive to adult learners who have vocational and professional skills from on-the-job experience but lack a college degree,” said Dr. James Rinehart, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Traditional students who are planning to pursue graduate degrees in areas that demand critical thinking skills such as law, business administration or public administration would also find the degree program beneficial.”

Degree programs in anthropology and social science will bring new opportunities for Florida students, said Dr. Bill Grantham, Assistant Dean of Arts and Sciences and chair of the University’s Social Sciences Department.

“The U.S. Department of Labor expects career opportunities in anthropology and social sociology to grow at an above-average rate during this decade. These programs are designed to offer students not only the opportunity to prepare for social science careers, but will prepare them to further their education at the graduate level,” he said.

Details about the full range of online programs and the application and admissions process are available at the Troy University Florida locations in Tampa, Orlando, Panama City (including Tyndall Air Force Base), Fort Walton Beach (including Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field) and Pensacola, or by visiting the University’s web site at www.troy.edu.

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TROY – Troy University’s Hall School of Journalism and Communication will recognize the outstanding achievements of its students and alumni at its annual awards banquet in April, and the Journalism Alumni Association is accepting nominations for awards.

The annual banquet recognizes the achievements of not only students currently enrolled at TROY but also highlights the success of graduates working in the fields of advertising, public relations, print and broadcast Journalism.  Nomination forms can be found on the JAA’s website at jaa.troy.edu.

“The alumni awards banquet is a great way of recognizing the success of our graduates and is also a way of welcoming back all of our graduates so they can remember their time in the Hall School,” says Aaron Taylor, President of the JAA and past alumni award recipient.  “We hope as many graduates as possible come back for the banquet to see what’s going on at their alma mater, including many of the changes that have taken place since they left.”

During this year’s awards banquet, the Hall School of Journalism and Communication will celebrate its 41st anniversary and many of the changes four decades of journalism education have brought.

Chief among those changes is the School’s first graduate program. Taught online, the Master of Science in Strategic Communication is designed to be completed in one year. Another change has been the official renaming of the School’s print journalism program. The Multimedia Journalism track takes advantage of technological advances in the field and better positions graduates for a digital future, Taylor said.

 “I feel a lot of the alumni are not aware of what is going on at their alma mater,” he said. “The banquet is a good way to get reacquainted not just with the School but with old classmates they haven’t seen in years.”

The banquet will be in the Trojan Center Ballrooms on Saturday, April 6^, with a meet-and-greet starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for Hall School students and $25 for alumni and other guests.

For more information on the banquet or to purchase tickets, contact Kate Rowinsky at (334) 670-3289 or by email at

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TROY – Troy University’s chapter of Alpha Tau Omega will be featured in a segment of the Travel Channel’s documentary “Spring Break 24/7.”

The program highlights the spring break travels of college students, who video document their break preparations and exploits. For more than a dozen brothers of ATO, this year’s break will be about raising funds for Special Olympics in Alabama and Florida, in addition to the original charity.

Walk Hard 2013 will begin on the Quad on March 8, and finish six days later and 140 miles to the south at Panama City Beach’s Pier Park. The fraternity is soliciting corporate and individual donors for the philanthropy. The effort began in 2010 when students Kyle Crabtree and Austin Bivins saw a man dressed as Superman walking down U.S. Highway 231 carrying an American flag. Curiosity sparked, they set out to organize a hike from Troy to the beach and began recruiting more participants. When the offer came to a mutual friend, they learned that despite the friend’s physical fitness he couldn’t participate due to having Type 1 diabetes. That set the stage for the group to raise money for Camp Seale Harris, a summer camp for children with diabetes that takes place at the facilities of Camp ASCCA, and exposed the fraternity to the special needs children.

“The reason I am walking is because I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to leave a footprint on something that is far bigger than one's self,” said senior social science education major Ethan Carroll, 22 of Mellow Valley. “We, as a group and as a fraternity, feel it is important to bring awareness to the organizations we are representing – we want to help out and this is our way of helping."

Carroll and 10 others will don backpacks on the journey that will take them down U.S. Highway 231 from Troy and into Florida and then along secondary roads to Florida Highway 79 into Panama City Beach. Other brothers will form a support crew to assist the hikers along the way.

It’s far from the stereotypical spring break of non-stop partying, but well in line with the fraternity that nationwide bans alcohol use at official functions.

“I feel doing this event for Special Olympics sends a positive message throughout our communities that fraternities are not what they appear to be in the movies and on TV. I am walking to positively impact the lives of young children and to make a difference in their lives,” said 22-year old senior criminal justice major John Duncan, of Sarasota, Fla.

Tyler Deal, 20, a sophomore business student from Ariton, amplified Duncan’s thoughts: “I’m walking because I do not believe in the stereotypical college spring break. I think being able to spend my spring break in a more meaningful way helping others is a much better use of my time.”

That, and a theme of “servant leadership,” are sentiments echoed by other members of the Walk Hard 2013 team, who also include:

• Rad Bolt, 19, a sophomore music education major from Panama City, Fla.;
• Nelson Burton, 18, a freshman exercise science major from Montgomery;
• Reese Claybrook, 21, a junior exercise science major from New Site;
• Jesse Gonzalez, 20, a sophomore political science major, ROTC cadet and Alabama National Guardsman from Huntsville;
• Joe Mitchell, 24, a senior political science major from Nashville, Tenn.;
• Miller Morrison, 19, a freshman sport and fitness management major from Montgomery;
• Mick Norris, 19, a freshman exercise science major from Montgomery;
• Will Spivey, 19, a sophomore athletic training major from Montgomery.

The brothers plan a short send-off service from the Quad on the Troy Campus at 9 a.m. March 8. To become a sponsor or make a donation to the cause, contact Austin Moser at 334-808-6401.

“I believe that our purpose in life is to serve others,” Gonzalez said. “If we can make a difference by walking a couple of miles: I’m in.”

The brothers of Troy University’s Alpha Tau Omega fraternity will strike out for spring break on March 8 under foot power, spending the week hiking 140 miles to Panama City Beach, Fla. in a fund raising effort known as Walk Hard, to benefit Special Olympics and Camp Seale Harris. Brothers participating are, left to right (front) Jesse Gonzalez, Mick Norris, Reese Claybrook, (back) Ethan Carroll, Miller Morrison, John Duncan and Nelson Burton. Not pictured are Rad Bolt, Tyler Deal, Joe Mitchell and Will Spivey. (TROY photo/Clif Lusk)

TROY – Troy University College of Health and Human Services students will be participating in the Central American Games in Costa Rica as part of a spring break study-abroad trip.

Three athletic training students will provide support to the games, which sets the stage for Central American nations’ Olympic teams, much in the same way the U.S. Nationals contribute to Olympic teams from the United States.

“This is an outstanding way for our students to get real-world experience, as well as share techniques we use in our country that are not in widespread practice in some other parts of the world,” said Dr. Amanda Benson, who chairs the department and will lead the athletic training team.

She and her students will work speed skating, men’s soccer, tae kwon do, fronton (handball), boxing, karate do and wrestling events March 12 – 13 in and near San Jose, Costa Rica.

They won’t be alone on the trip, however, five social work and rehabilitation students, and one sport management student, will also be on the trip.

The Social Work and Rehabilitation team, led by Dr. Denise Green, will present a workshop on the forensic interview of children, and assist in research and data collection at the Joint Social Welfare Institute, a government-run program that partners several organizations aimed at keeping children from poor homes in school.

The Sport Management team, led by faculty member Dr. Anthony Dixon, will focus on the Central American Games’ overall management.

All the students will participate in “cultural immersion” activities – including staying with host Costa Rican families – and visit several national points of interest.

“This is a chance for our students to both do meaningful academic work and gain exposure into life in Central America,” Benson said.

Sponsored by the University’s partner in Costa Rica, the Universidad de Iberoamerica, and partially funded by a Study Abroad Grant supported by faculty in the Social Work, Rehabilitation and Human Service Department, the students will depart on March 7 and return on March 15. All students and faculty received a portion of the grant to offset expenses.

Participating in the trip is:

• Monica Bates, a junior athletic training major from Wapakoneta, Ohio;
• Hannah Dunn, a junior athletic training major from Tallassee;
• Camille Forte, a sophomore athletic training major from Madison;
• Christina Brown, a junior rehabilitation major from Auburn;
• Haley Danner, a junior social work major from Ashford;
• Tandy Harvell, a junior social work major from Troy;
• JoAnna Hernandez, a senior social work major from Dothan;
• MaKayla Stone, a junior social work major from Opelika; and
• Stevon Douglas, a senior sport management eTroy student from Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Troy University has been ranked in the top 30 public universities in the South by U.S. News and World Reports magazine, and several of its programs have been recognized as leading online learning programs.

The University was ranked 30 on the organization’s “Top Public Schools” listing, and was included in the “Best Regional Universities (South)” list.

In addition, the University’s nursing and rehabilitation counseling programs were named to the “U.S. News Best Grad School” list. It was among the top 50 universities on the “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs” list. U.S. News also listed TROY among the best for its online graduate nursing, graduate education and graduate business programs.

“We’re not trying to be all things to all people at TROY, but what we do we do very well,” said Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. “The real standard in education that will sustain an institution is quality. This recognition from U.S. News validates our commitment to providing high-quality academic programs both in class and on line.”