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EXECUTIVES AT MTSU
DR. SIDNEY A. McPHEE: President Dr. Sidney A. McPhee is the tenth president of Middle Tennessee State University. Prior to his appointment at MTSU in 2001, he was executive vice chancellor at the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) in Nashville. In addition, he served as chief academic officer and interim chancellor for the Board of Regents System. Before his appointment at TBR, McPhee served in various administrative capacities at several major universities including Oklahoma State University, the University of Louisville and the University of Memphis. In May of 2007, President McPhee was conferred the Honorary Professor title at China Agricultural University in Beijing, China. The Honorary Professor title is the highest academic award given at the university. Dr. McPhee was named the 2002 Outstanding American University President by the American Football Foundation. In 2003, McPhee was listed by The Nashville Post Business Magazine as one of Tennessee’s 100 Most Powerful Individuals and in 2004 he was ranked by Tennessee Business Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful African Americans in the State of Tennessee. Most recently, Dr. McPhee was listed in 2006 by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of seven university presidents in the U.S. who are shaping intercollegiate athletics on a national scale. McPhee earned his B.A. degree (with highest honors, Suma Cum Laude) from Prairie View A&M University; a master’s degree from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida; and a doctorate in Applied Behavioral Studies in Education from Oklahoma State University. He is also a graduate of the Harvard University Management Development Program and has completed professional development programs at St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas, and Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As an academician, President McPhee’s scholarly publications and presentations are extensive. His publications have appeared in local, national, and international professional journals. In addition, he is the senior author of a book, Understanding the Campus Culture: An Introduction to College, and has co-authored a chapter for a major college textbook on academic advising. McPhee’s scholarly pursuits include several international visits and presentations in locations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Lanzhou, China; Penang, Malaysia; Hong Kong; Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Seoul, Korea; Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel; Antwerp, Belgium; Montreal, Canada; Oxford, England; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Nassau, Bahamas. McPhee recently completed a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and a three-year term on the NCAA Executive Committee. In May 2005, he was appointed to the NCAA Presidential Commission on the Future of Intercollegiate Athletics. He currently serves as President of the SunBelt Conference athletic league and Chairman of the league’s CEO executive committee. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him to serve on the National Council for the Humanities, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him. McPhee is a member of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and chaired its Membership Council and is a member of the Murfreesboro Noon Rotary Club. He serves as a member of the SunTrust Bank Board of Directors (Nashville) and SunTrust Regional Bank Advisory Board (Murfreesboro). He also served on the Nashville Adventure Science Center Board, the Middle Tennessee Medical Center Board, and the Middle Tennessee Council Boy Scouts of America Executive Board. He is co-chair of the Tennessee Legislative Retreat Task Force on Higher Education. McPhee was recently elected to a three-year term as a Commission member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. During McPhee’s tenure at MTSU, the University has experienced significant growth in many areas of the institution. Student enrollment has increased significantly making MTSU undergraduate enrollment the largest in the state. During the past five years the university added twelve new degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. In 2002, for the first time in the history of the University, four Ph.D. programs were established: in Economics, English, Human Performance, and Public History. In July of 2007, a new Ph.D. in Literacy Studies was approved. In the area of extramural funding, the University has increased external grant funding from $6 million in 2001 to approximately $40 million in 2007. In addition to the increase in new academic programs, the University has been successful in raising admission standards, resulting in an increase in high-quality students. For the past eight consecutive years, MTSU has been the institution of choice for mid-state valedictorians and salutatorians. During the past four years, MTSU has enrolled a significant number of National Merit scholars and Achievement scholars. McPhee’s tenure has brought about major improvements in the University facilities. A ten-year, $70 million student residential housing renovation project is in its 5th year and includes the refurbishing of all residential facilities on the campus. In addition, the University acquired the 500-acre Guy James property to consolidate its highly regarded programs in the Agriscience and Agribusiness departments. This acquisition has doubled the size of the campus acreage from 500 to 1,000. Over $9 million was spent to renovate Todd Hall, which now houses the Art Department and has state-of-the-art equipment for its students and faculty and the Paul W. Martin, Sr. Honors building was constructed from private funding. In January of 2007, the 28,000 square-foot Nursing building was officially opened and dedicated. The University has secured private gifts in support for a $5 million new baseball stadium which will be constructed in 2008. In 2006, the University received $15 million in state support for the planning infrastructure development for a proposed $120 million new science building and in April 2007, a new $3 million track and soccer complex was opened. In June of 2007, the Tennessee General Assembly approved the construction of a $31.7 million new building for the University’s College of Education and Behavioral Science. Currently a $17 million expansion of the Student Health, Wellness, and Recreation Center is underway and scheduled to be completed by May 2008. Presently, the University is involved in proposed or active capital projects totaling nearly $400 million. President McPhee is married to Elizabeth McPhee and they have two children, Seneca and Sidney-Anthony. Updated: June 2007 DR. DIANE MILLER: Interim Executive Vice President & Provost
During her academic career, Dr. Miller has created and taught courses in mathematics and mathematics education at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. She was named an Outstanding Teacher at Louisiana State University and has been nominated for the same distinction at MTSU. Her record of grant writing reflects a cumulative total of $2.62 million from local, state, and federal agencies. She has authored or co-authored approximately 50 publications and has been invited to make over 70 presentations at state, regional, national, and international meetings. She has served as chair and member of numerous department, college, and university committees and task forces. Chair responsibilities have included MTSU’s Faculty Research and Creative Activity Committee (FRCAC), the Classroom and Laboratory Utilization Effectiveness Committee, the Workload Committee, the Compensation Pay Plan Committee, and MTSU's Task Force on Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. She has been very active in shared governance having served as a member of MTSU's Faculty Senate and Senate President during 1999-2000. During October 2003, Dr. Miller, then Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, traveled to China representing MTSU in a Sino-American Leadership Training (SALT) program sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange. Since that initial visit, Dr. Miller has served as a liaison to Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, P.R. China, building a partnership that has resulted in faculty visitations, student exchanges, and research partnerships. The two universities co-hosted a workshop on mathematics and science education June 22-27, 2008, in Murfreesboro, TN. The theme of the workshop was Identifying Common Priorities that Promote Collaborative Research. One hundred twenty-five scholars, 50 from P. R. China and 75 from the United States participated in the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to facilitate the formation of collaborative research working groups whose memberships consist of both American and Chinese scholars. Primary support for the weeklong event was the National Science Foundation. Dr. Miller has held a number of administrative positions. In 2001, she served as a director of professional development for K-12 teachers of mathematics in an NSF funded partnership between Tennessee State University and the Metro City School System in Nashville, TN. From February 2002 to June 2004, she served as Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs for MTSU; and, from July 2004 to June 2005, she served as Interim Associate Dean for MTSU's College of Basic and Applied Sciences. Dr. Miller was appointed as Director of MTSU's Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program July 2003, and Director of MTSU’s Undergraduate Research Center in 2006. She returned to Academic Affairs as Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and was appointed Vice Provost for Academic Affairs in July 2008. She became Interim Executive Vice President and Provost in May 2009. JOHN W. COTHERN: Senior Vice President John W. Cothern serves as MTSU's Senior Vice President. Previously he served as Vice President of Business and Finance from 2003 until June 2005. Prior to his arrival at MTSU, Cothern was Assistant Vice President for Business and Finance at the University of Memphis (UM). Cothern, a Memphis native, is a 1970 graduate of UM (then Memphis State University) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, and he has a Juris Doctor degree (1973) from UM’s Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Cothern is a licensed attorney, and he had been with the UM Division of Business and Finance since November 1973. He and his wife Debbie have lived in Nashville since 1998, and he had been commuting to UM since that time. Cothern previously worked with McPhee when McPhee was UM’s Senior Vice Provost. Cothern also worked with Gene Smith, who served as MTSU’s interim president prior to McPhee’s arrival. Smith was also UM’s Vice President for Business and Finance prior to assuming MTSU’s interim presidency for a year in Fall 2000. The Cotherns have two grown children, John and Joanie.
Sells joined the administration at Middle Tennessee State University in January of 1996. Prior to arriving at MTSU, she worked for nine years at Arizona State University in Tempe. Dr. Sells has also served in the division of Student Affairs at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, and at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Dr. Sells completed her Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology and Communications at Hope College, located in Holland, Michigan. She completed her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Interpersonal Practice and Clinical Casework at the University of Michigan in 1983. She completed her Doctorate of Education at Arizona State University in 1996 with a dissertation entitled "The Freshman Year Experience: A case study of a freshman living-learning center." “Our students and their families will know what we value by where we invest our time and our presence,” says Dr. Sells. “It is critical that we are accessible, involved and engaged with our students. They are the reason we come to work each day.” WILLIAM J. BALES: VP for Development & University Relations William J. "Joe" Bales, is the Vice President for Development and University Relations at MTSU. With more than 17 years experience in fundraising and institutional advancement, he leads the University’s advancement efforts. Bales came to MTSU in 2002 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he spent nearly 15 years in a variety of development and alumni affairs roles. Immediately prior to coming to MTSU, Bales served for more than five years as Assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations. In that role, he was responsible for developing cultivation and solicitation plans for more than 30 major corporations—and providing leadership to all appropriate colleges and constituent development offices. His accomplishments included the creation of a formal corporate partnership plan, the development of an annual-giving blueprint and the launching of an "executive briefing" newsletter for the campus. Earlier, from 1993 to 1997, Bales was director of development for the university's College of Engineering. During that time, he directed the college's 21st Century Campaign that raised more than $34 million in gifts and pledges from alumni, friends and corporations. The annual average for total giving increased from $2 million to $4.5 million. He also developed a tracking/management system for the college's gift funds composed of more than 200 gift accounts and a $15 million endowment. Before that, Bales served for four years as associate director of institutional advancement for the university's Institute of Agriculture, then later became director of development. He earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in agriculture from UT-Knoxville and served as a graduate teaching assistant and as an instructor in the Department of Animal Science. "As a native of this state, I strongly believe in the value of higher education and am committed to working to strengthen our educational system," Bales said. "The chance to assist MTSU in meeting the future needs of Tennessee is an exciting challenge. MTSU is one of the best kept secrets in higher education, not only in Tennessee, but across the country. It is gratifying to have the opportunity to work with Dr. McPhee, the university community and MTSU’s students and alumni in moving MTSU to the top tier of America’s comprehensive universities." LUCINDA T. LEA: VP for Information Technology & Chief Information Officer In February of 2002, Lucinda Lea was named MTSU Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. As a member of the president's cabinet, she has responsibility for strategic and tactical planning in all facets of information technology. She leads the Information Technology Division in providing the services of academic and administrative computing, instructional technology, Web applications, networking and telecommunications, and the campus ID system. As vice president, she seeks to provide students, faculty and staff with the best, most up-to-date technologies that available resources can provide. She supports the use of this technology in providing quality education in a student-centered living and learning environment. Ms. Lea has given numerous presentations and papers, nationally and regionally, describing campus innovations in information technology. She has served on the Syllabus Advisory Board, The Editorial Board of The Technology Source and has been involved with the TLT Group as a facilitator and speaker. In 1996 she founded the Instructional Technology Conference, held annually at MTSU. The conference attracts hundreds of faculty, instructional technologists, and administrators from across the nation to share knowledge and gain expertise in technology-based education. She was the recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Service Award in Tennessee higher Education Computing, chosen by her peers. Elected by the EDUCAUSE membership to a four year term on the EDUCAUSE Board beginning in January 2006, she was served as vice chair of the Board in 2008 and upon election, is serving as chair in 2009. EDUCAUSE, a non-profit association with a membership of more than 2200 higher education institutions, has the mission to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. Ms. Lea was the instructional technology track program chair for the 2002 Seminars on Academic Computing; she served on the Seminars on Academic Computing (SAC) Advisory Board (2002-2005) and as SAC Board Chair in 2004-2005. She was a member of the Research Task Force commissioned by EDUCAUSE to examine avenues for collection and dissemination of core institutional data for higher education institutions. The process culminated in the creation of the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service. She was program chair for the 2003 EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference and served as program chair for the 2005 international EDUCAUSE Conference. She served on the advisory board of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) in 2006-2008. Previous experience includes: MTSU Assistant Vice President for Information Technology, Office of Information Technology, 1999 - 2002; Director of the MTSU Office of Information Technology, 1993 - 1999; MTSU Academic Computing Manager, 1979 - 1993; MTSU Faculty Liaison, Academic Computer Support, 1973 - 1979; Systems Programmer, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 1967 - 1971. Ms. Lea holds a Master of Science in mathematics from Middle Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Tennessee Technological University. She is married to Dr. James W. Lea, Jr., a mathematics professor at MTSU; they have a son residing in London, England and a daughter who resides in Washington, D.C. |
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Dr. Miller received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. She received an M.S. from Memphis State University in Mathematical Sciences and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from the University of Missouri – Columbia. She taught in high schools in Knoxville and Memphis before teaching at Arkansas State University, University of Missouri – Columbia, and Louisiana State University. In 1990, she became a Senior Research Fellow for the Science and Mathematics Education Center at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. She returned to the U.S. in 1992 for a one-year appointment at Texas Tech University before coming to Middle Tennessee State University in August 1993.
Dr. Debra Sells serves as MTSU’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Academic and Enrollment Services. 
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2007 Middle Tennessee State University, a Tennessee Board of Regents institution Middle Tennessee State University, in its educational programs and activities involving students and employees, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or age. Furthermore, the university does not discriminate against veterans or individuals with disabilities. |
