Discovery Center CEO Tara MacDougall told the Murfreesboro Rotary Club that they have plans to expand both exhibit area as well as taking their programs on the road.

She noted that possible expansions of 20,000 square feet are on the horizon for the hands-on education center for area youth that's located at 502 Southeast Broad Street.

In addition, a collaborative effort with the Murfreesboro City Schools to retrofit retired school buses for taking Discovery Center learning to the community. The traveling exhibits will be known as STEAM Bus, an achronym for Science, Technology, Arts and Math--the major topics to be covered by the new service.

Another new addition that is coming to the local facility is the addition of an owl named Pemberton. The Murfreesboro facility is located beside the Murfree Spring Wetland, and has now been licensed to house owls that have been injured and are no long able to live in the wild. Pemberton is a great horned owl that was found entangled in a barbed-wire fence. He is presently returning to good health at Walden’s Puddle, a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Joelton, Tennessee.

MTSU President McPhee Made "Paul Harris Fellow"

In addition, during the noon Rotary luncheon at the Stones River County Club on Tuesday (9/10/2013), Dr. Sidney McPhee was made a "Paul Harris Fellow".

The 110 member Murfreesboro Club honored the MTSU president for his on-going service to both the community and the club.

You could tell that McPhee was totally surprised when Dr. Alex Hollis stepped forward and asked the university's leader to come-up front and help him.

The Murfreesboro Rotary Club is in its 94th year, and was founded in 1917. They meet Tuesdays at noon in the Stones River Country Club.