MTSU Mondays: Soaring High: Alum's Company Gifts LED Screen for Student Pilots

Here's the latest news from Middle Tennessee State University .

School, Bahamas make ink pact on aviation training

Middle Tennessee State University and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas have signed an agreement that will foster academic ties and collaboration between the country’s aviation ministry and MTSU’s Department of Aerospace.

The agreement was recently signed by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper, who also leads the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, will create cultural and academic exchanges in education and research.

It specifically calls for a program to facilitate Bahamian students to attend MTSU and train in aerospace; a summer immersion program for Bahamian students on the MTSU campus; a fast-track program geared for working professionals; and online courses geared for Bahamian students.

McPhee, a native of the Bahamas, pointed out that "MTSU has been the choice of many students from the Bahamas seeking higher education opportunities."

"The ties between the commonwealth and our university are strong and constant and, indeed, students from this nation represent a significant percentage of our international enrollment," McPhee said.

Cooper, who was joined in his visit to the MTSU campus by representatives from the University of the Bahamas, called the signing "an important occasion."

"It's a monumental step for the advancement of the aviation industry in the Bahamas and the aviation education landscape in the Bahamas," he said. "We're excited about this possibility, and we consider this only the beginning of more great collaborations between the University of the Bahamas and MTSU and the Bahamas at large."

MTSU Aerospace, with 20 full-time faculty members, 100+ flight instructors, and over 1,200 students, is among the largest of the nation’s collegiate aviation programs.

MTSU’s total aerospace enrollment, including all seven undergraduate concentrations and three graduate concentrations, makes up about 6% of the university’s total student population. Students from 32 states and 16 foreign countries are enrolled in the program.

Alum happy to ‘pay it forward’ with company’s donation of LED screen

The future is getting brighter for Middle Tennessee State University film and television students in the College of Media and Entertainment thanks to a newly donated 400-panel LED screen by Chicago-based Fuse Technical Group.

“This gift will greatly aid our tour production and XR/VR (extended reality and virtual reality) filmmaking classes, which helps train and place our students into those industries,” said Bob Gordon, associate professor of video and film production and interim chair in the Department of Media Arts.

Patrick Eaton, a 2009 graduate of MTSU’s then Radio and TV Production Program, visited campus to donate the billboard-sized screen and calls the official presentation a “full circle moment” as he connects the past and present.

“This is surreal, and it seemed like a great opportunity to have kids continue learning on what is being actively used in the industry right now, you know,” said Eaton, who credits MTSU as the foundation of his 15-year career in event production. “And it’s great because Fuse acknowledges that investing in the future generation is the only path forward.”

Panels can be configured into smaller screens, big screens or a single large surface. The high-resolution video panel can be used for various applications, including digital scenery and live visuals for concerts, Eaton explained.

Eaton’s ties to MTSU have remained integral to his career in production. Over the years, the companies he’s worked for have hired dozens of MTSU graduates. Fuse Technical Group is no stranger to that continuing tradition.

“The bonds that I built in that first semester here are folks that I work with across the industry,” Eaton said.

He’s also stayed close to his classmate, Mike Forbes, director of MTSU Technical Systems and an adjunct media arts lecturer, who was instrumental in facilitating the most recent donation.

“At the College of Media and Entertainment, we pride ourselves on giving our students real-world, hands-on experience,” Forbes said. “This donation only emphasizes the importance of giving our students an advantage from others entering the industry by knowing and understanding the technology used in live entertainment. Our students truly grasp how it works.”

MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU Mondays: Student aviation training, alum's company donates LED screen