MTSU Adds Distinguished Alumni, Faculty To Wall of Fame

Middle Tennessee State University is adding three alumni and a pair of Friends of the College to the Wall of Fame at the College of Mass Communications.

Dean Roy Moore announced today (4/20) that alumni Carrie Dierks, Luke Laird, and Mikki Rose will be honored with plaques and photos on the northwest interior wall of the Bragg Mass Communication Building. Also being recognized are Friends of the College Dale and Lucinda Cockrell of the University’s Center for Popular Music.

The Wall started in 2000 as a way to honor successful graduates and inspire current students. Honorees are chosen by faculty members.

Dierks graduated from MTSU’s School of Journalism and has worked in sports publishing, marketing, and media design. She is now VP of B2B Operations for True North Custom Media.

Laird finished MTSU’s Recording Industry curriculum and is one of Nashville’s hottest songwriters, penning hits for Carrie Underwood (“Last Name,” “So Small”), Blake Shelton (“Hillbilly Bone”), Sara Evans (“A Little Bit Stronger”), Eric Church (“Drink In My Hand”) and more.

Rose earned dual degrees in mass comm. and computer science, and worked in technical animation on films including Alvin & the Chipmunks, and the Academy Award-winning The Golden Compass before joining Sony Pictures Imageworks to work on Alice in Wonderland and more.

The Cockrells have loved and shared music for decades via Dale’s doctorate in musicology and Lucinda’s degree in historic preservation. In additional to directing MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, the pair founded, own and operate Pa’s Fiddle Recordings, an educational project built around the music from Little House on the Prairie.