TROY News Center

DOTHAN—Troy University will celebrate its ties to the Wiregrass region with a number of special events during the annual Heritage Week celebration on the Dothan Campus April 15-19.

For more than 20 years the Dothan Campus has celebrated its history in the Wiregrass with the Heritage Week festivities, which include several free events that are open to the public.

Activities during the 2013 Heritage Week will include:

Monday, April 15

The Troy University Community Band of Dothan will perform at 6 p.m. inside Sony Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, April 16

The annual Health and Wellness Fair, featuring free information and screenings from local healthcare providers, will be from 9 a.m. to noon inside the Harrison Room in Malone Hall. Free and open to the public.

The Continuing Education Center will preview upcoming courses during an Open House from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside Adams Hall, room 200.

Wednesday, April 17

The spring picnic on the quad for faculty, staff and students will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The College of Arts and Sciences will present the annual Woodham Lecture Series at 11 a.m. inside the Sony Hall auditorium. History professor Dr. Robin O’Sullivan will present a lecture entitled “Breakfast of Champions: A History of the American Morning Meal—and Why it Matters.”

Friday, April 19

The Outstanding Student Honors Convocation will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. inside Sony Hall.

For more information about Heritage Week events, contact Dean of Students Bob Willis at (334) 983-6556 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

DOTHAN—Local high school students will put their public speaking skills to the test during the annual “Yes We Can Speak Out” competition on Friday, April 12, at Troy University’s Dothan Campus.

The competition will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the Sony Hall auditorium in the Library/Technology Building.

A group of 20 Dothan City Schools students will participate in the competition. The students will present original speeches of 5 to 8 minutes in length in either an informational, persuasive, humorous or storytelling style.

The contest is meant to be a learning opportunity for students to express their thoughts on a variety of national and international issues said Dr. JeeHae Lee, a TROY assistant professor in the College of Education.

“Our hope is that the Yes We Can Speak Out contest will not only challenge Dothan City Schools students to improve both their writing and speaking abilities, but also give an opportunity for educators and parents to learn about what our high school students are really interested in and passionate about,” Dr. Lee said.

Students who wanted to take part in the competition submitted 3-5 page essays on their speech topic, with the top essays being selected to advance.

For more information, contact Dr. Lee at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

MONTGOMERY—Troy University will take part in the worldwide celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on Tuesday, April 16, by hosting readings of the letter in Montgomery and Dothan.

Organized by the Birmingham Public Library, the worldwide celebration marks the 50^th anniversary of the day King began writing his famous open letter. Public readings of the letter are scheduled around the world at schools, museums, churches and other locations.

Troy University will join the celebration with readings inside the Rosa Parks Museum auditorium on the Montgomery Campus and on the steps of the Library/Technology Building at the Dothan Campus. Both events start at noon and are open to the public.

Written from a Birmingham jail cell after King’s arrest during a non-violent protest, the letter was a response to a letter by eight concerned white pastors who felt it was not an appropriate time for King to lead demonstrations.

For more information on the TROY readings, contact Georgette Norman at the Rosa Parks Museum at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Dr. Marty Olliff at the Dothan Campus at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more on the worldwide celebration, visit http://www.bplonline.org/programs/1963/Letter.aspx.

DOTHAN—Troy University will host the Fifth Annual Gifted Education Conference for parents and teachers of high-ability K-2 students at the Dothan Campus on Saturday, April 6, from 9:30 – 3 p.m. in the Michelin Room in the Library/Technology Building.

This year’s theme is developing early interest in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The free event is sponsored by the College of Education and is aimed at helping parents and teachers better meet the needs of high-ability students in kindergarten through second grade.

“Typically, students are not identified and served in gifted programs until third grade. Therefore, we want to provide parents and classroom teachers with techniques that can enrich the curriculum for K-2 students prior to enrollment in a gifted program,” said Dr. Victoria Morin, Professor of Special Education and Gifted Education.

“The focus of this year’s conference is on developing and capitalizing on early interest in the STEM fields.  The conference presenters will provide information about how to select and use toys, games, technology, and curriculum enrichment activities to engage our young engineers and our nation’s future scientists and technological leaders,” Dr. Morin said.

The conference is offered at no cost to participants, but seating is limited.  Pre-registration is required and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, contact Dr. Morin at (334) 983-6556, extension 1351 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m., and refreshments and lunch will be provided.

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DOTHAN—Troy University will host a pair of lectures at the Dothan Campus by a history professor who will provide insight into Islamic culture through his experiences as a traveler and resident in the Muslim world.

Presented by Auburn University professor Dr. Matt Malczycki, the two-part “Muslim Journeys” series aims to explain the historical and theological outlines of the Islamic faith in an informal and non-confrontational manner.

The first lecture, “An Arkansas Traveler’s Perspective on Islam,” will be held on Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m. inside the Harrison Room in Malone Hall. The lecture attempts to explore Islam in a way that will foster greater understanding.

The second lecture, “Of Burkas and Honey Boo-Boo,” will be held on Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m., also in the Harrison Room. This lecture will explore which society does a better job of protecting and respecting the rights of women and children: Islamic society or American society.

Both events are free and open to the public. The lectures are supported by a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation.

Dr. Malczycki, who received his doctorate from the University of Utah in 2006, is an expert in Islamic history who has also lived in Egypt.

The lectures are being held in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Humanities and America Library Association’s Muslim Journey’s Bookshelf grant, part of the Bridging Cultures program. The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is a collection of 25 books, 4 DVDs, and other programming resources selected to help public audiences in the United States become more familiar with the people, places, history, faith, and cultures of Muslims around the world and within the U.S.

For more information contact Dothan Campus Library Director Chris Shaffer at (334) 983-6556, ext. 1320, or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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