MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Media and Entertainment recently inducted four extraordinary alumni into its prestigious Wall of Fame, continuing a 24-year tradition of honoring industry leaders whose careers reflect excellence, innovation and deep ties to the university.
This year’s honorees — Justin Hart, Don Carr, Jade Driver and Cassie Petrey — were celebrated at the annual Wall of Fame and Student Scholarship Award Ceremony held in the James Union Ballroom in late April. The event recognized the professional accomplishments of these alumni and spotlighted the next generation of media professionals with nearly 40 scholarships and over a dozen student awards.
“These inductees are inspiring role models,” said College of Media and Entertainment Dean Beverly Keel. “I was so happy that our students were able to witness these prestigious alumni’s inductions into the college’s Wall of Fame. Although they followed different paths, they all launched their careers while still a student at MTSU. While they all have impressive accomplishments and famous names on their resumes, it is their hard work, day in and out, year-end and out, that has built their legacies.”
About the honorees
- Hart(Class of 2011) is a trailblazing, Emmy-nominated and NAACP Image Award-winning television producer with a knack for crafting engaging content.
Over his 12-plus years in the industry, Hart has helped shape influential shows like “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” E! News’ “Daily Pop” and “The Real.” His PBS series “Fatherhood” earned an Emmy nod for its powerful portrayal of Black fatherhood.
As CEO of Oak95 Productions and founder of the nonprofit Black Men Crowned, Hart uplifts and inspires through media and community service alike. He now gives back as an adjunct professor in MTSU’s Digital Media Practices program.
- Carr, a Recording Industrygraduate (Class of 1995), brings more than three decades of award-winning directing and production experience in television and live events.
Don Carr
With multiple Emmys and Telly Awards under his belt, Carr has worked with an outstanding list of clients — from the Tennessee Titans and PBS to global acts like Iron Maiden, Dolly Parton, Post Malone and Hans Zimmer.
His career spans marquee festivals like Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Woodstock ’99, and major network collaborations with ABC, CNN and Fox.
- Petrey and Driver(Class of 2007) are the dynamic duo behind Crowd Surf, a pioneering social media marketing agency with a client list that reads like a Grammy red carpet: Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello, Lainey Wilson and Aerosmith, to name a few.
Cassie Petrey 
Jade Driver
Petrey, a Forbes and Billboard 30 Under 30 honoree and Driver, a Billboard Digital Power Player, met while studying at MTSU and bonded over a shared love of pop music and emerging digital platforms. What began as street teams and Myspace campaigns evolved into one of the industry’s top agencies, with teams in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York and a collective social reach of nearly one billion followers.
“Their success shows our students that their dreams are a possibility if they work hard, remain open to new ideas and communicate effectively,” said Keel. “They have built impressive careers and are raising the standards of excellence for those around them. We are honored to celebrate them with this induction.”
About CME, Wall of Fame
Since 2000, more than 100 alums have been inducted into the College of Media and Entertainment’s “Wall of Fame.” To see a complete list of inductees, visit https://w1.mtsu.edu/media-wall-of-fame/.
The college offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Animation, Journalism, Media and Entertainment, and Recording Industry; a Master of Fine Arts in Recording Arts Technologies; and a Master of Science in Media and Communication.
The college also houses the Center for Innovation in Media, the Center for Popular Music, the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies and WMOT-FM, a 100,000-watt public radio station.
— Stacey Tadlock (Stacey.Tadlock@mtsu.edu)
