McFarland expansion makes progress, interrupts class time

Students have a new friend in class in the McFarland Science Center — the sound of a drill. Construction crews are working on an addition on the west side of the original building. The project is part of the Lipscomb:Next campaign, an initiative to invest $125 million in the university by its 125th anniversary in 2016. The $8.5 million addition will include six new laboratories for organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and human anatomy and physiology. Despite a few setbacks, Mike Engelman, director of campus construction, said construction is about to start moving swiftly. “This week we are preparing to pour the concrete on the basement slab,” Engelman said. “After that slab is complete, we will start the next level and should really start seeing this building move quick as long as the weather cooperates.” The construction has drawn quite a few noise complaints from both students and professors in the process, though. Kent Gallaher, chair of the department of biology, said the noise originated after the construction company found a layer of rock settling on top of a layer of mud, which had to be removed. “The solution was a hammer through the rock layer to stabilize the foundation,” Gallaher said. “This was very, very noisy work that required a huge bulldozer-sized jack hammer.” Brittany Elmore, a junior elementary education major from Mt. Juliet, said that some of her professors have had to wait for the noise to stop before they could continue teaching. “It was so loud that no one could hear,” Elmore said. “It’s definitely hard to focus and is distracting sometimes, but it really hasn’t bothered me as much...

Lipscomb’s Institute for Sustainable Practice invites students to become the next generation of green professionals

The Institute for Sustainable Practice (ISP) at Lipscomb University offers a variety of degrees for students in all phases of life, including an undergraduate Major in Environmental and Sustainable Science (ESS). Environmental and Sustainable Science covers interests in a diverse array of fields, ranging from Ecology, Wildlife Biology and Conservation, Environmental Law and Policy, Environmental Analysis, Environmental Management, Organic Food Production and many more personalized concentrations. Dr. James English, Academic Director for the ISP, said the program is more involved than just taking Science courses. “A few years ago, students in most of these fields would just take a concentration of biology courses and chemistry courses. Then, maybe 10 years ago, many schools developed a program in Environmental Science,” English said. “The Institute for Sustainable Practice has a program that includes all those rather traditional fields, but also includes very applied areas of sustainability.” The programs offered by the ISP aren’t confined to just students interested in Chemistry or Biology. All students in all majors are encouraged to find out what the program has to offer and find a specialized career. “You want to go to Law school, but specifically you want to go for Environmental Law – our program encompasses that,” English said. “I have students who want to be farmers, environmental consultants. I have students who want to be entrepreneurs and start their own ‘green business.’ “And, of course, a great many of our students are studying ecology, conservation and wildlife biology. The thing all these students have in common is they are learning how the environment works, and doing something substantial to lessen our impact on...
Dr. John Smith offers students lessons from his ‘unusual’ life

Dr. John Smith offers students lessons from his ‘unusual’ life

When most college students imagine a chemistry professor, they don’t picture someone with a law degree. And they don’t picture someone who does creative writing and mixed martial arts for fun. But students at Lipscomb find exactly that in Dr. John Smith, assistant professor of chemistry. Smith, who started full-time at Lipscomb in 2007, said students seem to enjoy hearing about his unusual hobbies. “Some of my students think it’s amusing that I’ve taken up mixed martial arts,” Smith said, explaining that he picked it up because his 8-year-old daughter, Miranda, has been doing it for over a year. “I started that back in March. I’ve wanted to do marital arts since I was Miranda’s age, but my family couldn’t afford it. Now is my chance. It’s fun.” Beyond martial arts, Smith spends some of his free time writing. “I love writing,” he said. “I hate science writing; it’s incredibly formulaic and boring. I love creative writing.” Smith said he writes scripts for VBS drama presentations at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ, where he attends. He has also written poetry, short stories and parts of novels. “I’ve entered some competitions, but I never win anything.” Smith, who has a bachelor’s in chemistry from Drew University in Madison, N.J., said he began working at Lipscomb as an adjunct faculty in 2001 while he was getting his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt. During the 2001-02 academic year, Smith said he wrote his dissertation for his Ph.D., started classes at Vanderbilt Law School and began teaching at Lipscomb. “It was a busy year,” he said. “I don’t remember much. I remember sitting down every...