TROY News Center

February 28, 2012

Daniel Foundation supports TROY riverfront project in Phenix City with $600,000 gift

PHENIX CITY—Troy University's proposed riverfront building in Phenix City has received a major boost in the form of a $600,000 gift from the Daniel Foundation.

The University, which established a campus in Phenix City in 1975, and the City have joined forces on the project, which will build a multi-story building which includes classrooms and offices in downtown Phenix City.

"Troy University, through the development of its campus, planted the seed of Renaissance in downtown Montgomery," said Charles W. Daniel of the Daniel Foundation, which is based in Birmingham. "I believe the Troy University riverfront project in Phenix City will have a similar effect. The Daniel Foundation is proud to be a part of this important initiative."

The Daniel Foundation, established in 1978, seeks to strengthen Alabama communities and improve the quality of life for all Alabama citizens through the support of quality educational programs, arts and culture, civic and community programs and medical care and research.

Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Troy University Chancellor, expressed his appreciation for the Daniel Foundation's support. "We are deeply grateful to the Daniel Foundation for its major commitment to this project," Chancellor Hawkins said. "This is the largest gift ever made by the Daniel Foundation in the greater Phenix City area and it signifies the value it places on the long-term effect this building can have on the improvement of the downtown area."

Chancellor Hawkins praised Phenix City officials for their partnership on the project, which was announced formally on Dec. 22, 2011.

"I commend the City Council and the Mayor for their visionary leadership," Dr. Hawkins said. "I believe this project will make an enormous difference in the quality of life in Phenix City for years to come."

The international presence of Troy University will be reflected by a 20-foot tall Trojan warrior statue which will stand in front of the building overlooking the Chattahoochee River. Valued at $250,000, the statue was donated by noted artist Huo Bao Zhu of Xian, China.

"It is an honor to have my work featured so prominently by Troy University. I was excited to learn of the riverfront project from Dr. Hawkins," said Huo, whose friendship with the University dates to the Chancellor's visit to Xian, China in 2002. "The Trojan warrior statue signifies strength, but it will also signify international friendship and cooperation, which Troy University is noted for."

Dr. David White, Vice Chancellor of the Phenix City Campus, said it "speaks volumes" that a foundation based in Birmingham and an artist in China would invest in a project in Phenix City.

"We are in the final stages of fundraising for this project, which promises to change Phenix City's downtown landscape forever," Dr. White said. "It's an exciting time for Troy University, Phenix City and the Chattahoochee River."

The building will include space for the Sorrell College of Business's Center for International Business and Economic Development and a water resources research center. In addition, the building will serve as the home of an eminent scholar in risk management and insurance, which is made possible by a $1 million gift from Paul Amos of the AFLAC Corp.

February 24, 2012

TROY celebrates 125th birthday

TROY – Troy University turned 125 years old today amid a giant birthday party for students, faculty, staff and guests in Sartain Hall on the Troy Campus – and at sites around the world.

"As we celebrate 125 years of service, we can take pride that not only have we survived, but that we have thrived," said Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. "We have excelled because we stand on the rock of our founding principles captured in the motto: Educate the mind to think, the heart to feel and the body to act. That was true in 1887, and it's certainly true today."

An act of the Alabama Legislature established the State Normal School at Troy in 1887. Friday's birthday party, a simultaneous event with campuses in Montgomery, Phenix City, Dothan and other sites throughout the U.S. and the world, featured a balloon drop, birthday cake, speeches, and was streamed live across the Internet.

As part of the year-long celebration, the University has launched a special website, www.troy.edu/troy125, which includes a history of the University with an interactive timeline, information on upcoming events related to the anniversary, a countdown clock to the 125th birthday and an opportunity to make a gift to TROY online. Visitors to the site can also share how the University has touched their lives by submitting personal stories, photos and videos.

The University today has more than 28,000 students at more than 60 campuses and teaching sites worldwide and is a leader in distance learning.

February 23, 2012

Trojan Vision Nightly News takes 'best in south' designation

TROY -- For the 11th time in 12 years, Troy University's Trojan Vision Nightly News was awarded the Best College TV Station by the Southeast Journalism Conference.

The award came during the conference's 26th annual convention in Martin, Tenn. Feb. 9 -11. The competition is judged by journalism professionals from newspapers, broadcast outlets and magazines from across the country, and included more than 300 entries from 33 eligible member schools.

"The SEJC is a wonderful avenue for our students to network with different schools that have mass communication departments and to compete against the other member institutions in contests, such as the Best of the South and On-Site competitions," said Jefferson Spurlock, associate director of TROY's Hall School of Journalism, and a two-time SEJC president.

The SEJC's Best of the South competition also resulted in individual awards for four members of the TROY family.

A broadcast journalism December 2011 graduate from Atmore, Rachel Ellis, received "Best Television Journalist."

A design, technology and innovation December 2011 graduate from Grand Bay, Joseph Melancon, was awarded "Best News-Editorial Artist/Illustrator."

Awarded with "Best Arts and Entertainment Writer" was Savannah Harrison, a senior print journalism major from Brewton.

A senior design, technology and innovation major from Calera, Sarah Hutto, received the award for "Best News Graphic Designer."

February 22, 2012

MathFest conference comes to Troy University's Montgomery Campus on Saturday

MONTGOMERY-- Troy University's MathFest 2012 will be held at the University's Rosa Parks Museum Auditorium on the Montgomery Campus on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

"This is the only math conference in the state of Alabama dedicated primarily to undergraduate mathematics students and their work, and it is one of only a few in the southeast," said Dr. Vijaya Gompa, professor and department chair in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University's Dothan Campus. "It is growing each year, and the goal is to make this something that students around the state and beyond will look forward to."

Made possible by Troy University funding and a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant through the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), TROY MathFest, created in 2004, allows students from around the region to gather to take part in presentations and discussions covering all areas of mathematics.

At this year's conference, lectures by Michael Starbird will be available to both students and faculty. Starbird will speak on "Inquiry-Based Learning: Mathematics and Beyond," in a presentation for faculty, and he will lecture to both student and faculty on the "The Fourth Dimension."

Starbird is a professor of mathematics and a university distinguished teaching professor at the University of Texas. He received his bachelor's degree from Pomona College and his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since joining the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin, Starbird has taken leaves as a visiting member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J.; a visiting associate professor at the University of California San Diego; and a member of the technical staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Starbird's mathematical research is in the field of topology. He recently served as a member-at-large of the Council of the American Mathematical Society and on the national education committees of both the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America where he consistently promotes the significant role that mathematics can play in the general education of students. He has given more than 150 invited lectures at colleges and universities throughout the country and more than 20 mini-courses and workshops to mathematics teachers.

February 20, 2012

Troy University to celebrate 125th birthday with worldwide celebration

TROY—Troy University will mark its 125th birthday on Friday, Feb. 24, with a day of festivities at all of its campuses in Alabama and around the world.

TROY's worldwide 125th birthday celebration will start at 11:30 a.m. on the Troy Campus, inside Sartain Hall. The event will include a balloon drop at noon, followed by a cake cutting, music, and remarks from speakers including Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr.

The campuses in Dothan, Montgomery and Phenix City will be holding simultaneous celebrations, and other national and international sites will be participating as well.

Admission is free to all of the celebration events and members of the public are invited to attend.

The Troy Campus celebration will also be broadcast live online via the University's website—www.troy.edu—starting at 11 a.m. CST, giving TROY alumni and fans everywhere a chance to participate.

As a part of the yearlong celebration, the University has launched a special website, www.troy.edu/troy125, which includes a history of the University with an interactive timeline, information on upcoming events related to the anniversary, a countdown clock to the 125th birthday and an opportunity to make a gift to TROY online. Visitors to the site can also share how Troy University has touched their lives by submitting personal stories, photos and videos.

Founded in 1887, Troy University today has more than 28,000 students at more than 60 campuses and teaching sites worldwide and is a leader in distance learning.