Recent Belmont 2020 graduate, Gracie Kelly, received a 2020 Psi Chi Regional Research Award for her research paper titled “Mental Illness Stigma in College Students.” Kelly graduated from the psychology department and was a part of the honors program at Belmont. Her research was originally set to be presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association in March of 2020, but due to COVID-19, the presentation was canceled.
The awarded paper and research touch on her investigation of “how empathy, perfectionism and self-stigma are related to both implicit and explicit mental illness stigma.” The paper also covers her investigation of the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce stigma.
Kelly’s thesis committee members were Dr. Lonnie Yandell (Psychological Science) and Dr. Brad Schleben (Math and Computer Science). Additionally, Dr. Catherine Starnes (Math and Computer Science) helped Kelly in the data analysis process. Dr. Peter Giordano (Psychological Science), Kelly’s honors tutor, also assisted her during her time at Belmont.
Continuing to pursue psychology, Kelly is now working as a psychology research assistant at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt. As she prepares to apply for programs this fall, Kelly plans to receive her Ph.D. in clinical psychology eventually.
The Nashville Business Journal recently featured three of Belmont University’s Massey College of Business alumni in its 2020 Power Leaders in Finance List. Harry Allen of Studio Bank, C J Blankenship of Blankenship CPA Group and Bradford Vieira of ServisFirst Bank were included in the program’s list of “financial leaders in Music City from the worlds of accounting, banking and financial planning.”
Allen, Blankenship and Vieira all received their Bachelor of Business Administration through the College of Business.
The annual list features financial leaders from the Nashville area as a result of nominations from the public. This year’s honorees will also be featured in a special printed publication in September.
Belmont University has been recognized as one of Princeton Review’s “Best in the Southeast” regional colleges on their 2021: Best Colleges Region by Region. Out of the 142 listed colleges recognized on the website, Belmont has been featured among them. The website features 655 colleges by regions categorized into Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, West and International.
The Princeton Review covers the best colleges regionally each year with Belmont being recognized as “Best in the Southeast” for the second consecutive year. The University is listed as “the fastest-growing Christian university in the nation with nearly 8,500 students hailing from every state and 36 countries.”
The website reviews each college listed through their Admissions, Academics, Tuition & Aid, Student Body, Campus Life and Careers. Based on the ratings and comments of each category from students of the university, schools are chosen to be recognized on the list annually. Belmont students are able to provide their input allowing readers to hear directly from the students’ viewpoint for each category. Student organizations at Belmont University show to be well-acclaimed as there is a place for each student to share their interests with people with similar passions. Students share that at Belmont, “individuality reigns in ideas, styles, of dress, taste in music and philosophies.”
Additionally, the review notes how this featured southeastern college is home to the final presidential debate of the 2020 election season presenting a unique opportunity for both students and faculty. The overall campus life and student opportunities are some of Belmont’s highlighted features amongst other categories. With more than 100 areas of undergraduate study, Belmont provides “the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service.”
Belmont is also recognized on Princeton’s website for connecting students with unique opportunities both in school and post-graduation due to Belmont’s locations and extensively successful alumni. The school’s offered hands-on experience has led Belmont to additionally be recognized on U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 “Most Innovative Schools” list for twelve years, leading Belmont to rank the highest university in Tennessee.
In May 2020, with all of the uncertainties of the pandemic looming, Belmont offered students from some of the canceled Study Abroad trips the opportunity to take their classes during Maymester online. The Practicum Songwriting and Master Production Month in London courses would normally involve the students writing and producing songs for a company based in England for the U.K. market. Under the circumstances and as an alternative, Nashville based Film and Television Music Synchronization company Sorted Noise stepped in.
Sorted Noise’s Josh Collum and Perrin Lamb worked with Belmont Songwriting Instructor Drew Ramsey (Grammy, Dove, Emmy winning writer/producer) in the days leading up to the class to tailor their writing boot camps to fit the course. The company’s hands-on involvement from the onset turned out to be key in making this a successful pairing.
Sorted Noise’s Perrin Lamb
The Sorted Noise team generated song briefs for each student based on their needs and expertise, and Lamb visited with both the songwriting and production classes on Zoom. Songwriting students responded with 16 songs from three rounds of co-writes. Sorted Noise selected their favorites, and the production students were tasked with assisting the songwriters with executing recordings, under the tutelage of Grammy Award-nominated producer/writer and Belmont Lecturer Alan Shacklock.
Drew Ramsey
Having received Perrin’s detailed critiques, students are now able to calibrate their writing and performing talents to serve the multitude of demands their music careers may present. Since May, Perrin and his team have invited three of the Maymester students to participate in their Zoom writing camps, as well as Belmont Songwriting alumna Ysa Fernandez.
Alan Shacklock
Ramsey explained, “I started working directly with companies seven years ago for this course, and we’ve done it with all the big firms in Nashville, Los Angeles, London and Germany, but this was the best overall experience.”
When asked his impression, Lamb said, “I really enjoyed working with the students. They were every bit as talented as we’ve come to expect from Belmont. Can’t wait to do it again!”
Belmont senior and music business major Matthew Khan spent his quarantine at home like most. However, he took the initiative to create a photo exhibition that documents his hometown of Washington D.C. throughout the different stages of COVID-19. Through this project, Khan’s main goal was to capture how intensely communities were affected by the pandemic.
Khan’s photography teacher and mentor from his hometown in Maryland, Jacob Whitefield, initially presented him with the idea of giving him free rein to execute the creative project however he saw best. Khan shared that the photo exhibition is “supposed to be reminiscent of the old formula of photojournalism used at LIFE magazine, one in which Photographers were given an assignment and it was up to them to get it done.”
The experience for Khan was unique as he was able to make this project his own while also sharing a greater story that is applicable globally. Finding locations that captured the emotional feeling of the community was his biggest challenge during this project. However, Khan shared that everyone he encountered was more than happy to have their picture taken as most people were just excited for a sense of human interaction in quarantine.
Khan said that this opportunity was an ideal way to spend quarantine as this project helped him develop his photo skills moving into his post-graduate and professional photography world. Describing his experience as one of the most fulfilling projects he’s ever completed, Khan says the project allowed him to build a portfolio while sharing real stories from his community.
Khan is in the process of submitting his work to galleries in his hometown in Maryland to put his photo exhibition on display. Additionally, he has published a personal photo book of his work while he waits to hear back from galleries.
Each academic year at Belmont kicks off with an Opening Convocation address, delivered by President Dr. Bob Fisher. This year, the tradition remained, although the address was hosted virtually the evening of August 19. Dr. Fisher examined the University’s progress thus far in its Vision 2020 goals and outlined strategies Belmont will prioritize as it embarks on Vision 2025. The virtual event can still be viewed on Belmont’s Opening Convocation website.
Highlights of the address include rising enrollment numbers, up to 8,440 in 2019, and indication that enrollment will continue to increase. Dr. Fisher also said faculty and staff numbers are growing to match the student ratio. Graduation rates have continued to rise, as well.
Dr. Fisher expressed his excitement over recent awards and accolades given to Belmont, with one of the most impressive being 100 percent of nursing students passing the FNP Nursing Certification exam for the 15th straight year. Dr. Fisher also said 88 percent of graduates were accepted into their first choice of graduate schools, and 93 percent of graduates are finding jobs in their chosen field.
Belmont will host the first class of its Architecture program this fall and welcome new students in the Watkins College of Art. Belmont has also launched new majors in Emerging Media, Business Analytics, Data Science and Hospitality and Tourism Management. He also bragged on Belmont’s 3 plus 3 options for Law, Occupational Therapy and Physical therapy which allow freshmen students to earn both an undergraduate and doctoral degree in six years.
Dr. Fisher explained that Belmont has ramped up its Belmont State of Mind Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
Viewers learned that Belmont has grown in financial strength both in endowment and assets over the past five years.
Additionally, seven strategies from Belmont’s Vision 2025 strategic plan were announced after groups at the University met to develop them this past year. Belmont wants “to be a leader among teaching universities, bringing together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service.”
Although life at Belmont may look a little different this fall, Dr. Fisher wrapped up the address by reiterating the importanance of the health and safety of everyone on campus.
Belmont University’s James Isaac Elliott, Drew Ramsey, Rachel Hale, Emily Weisband, and Cindy Morgan are represented in this year’s 2020 Dove Award Nominations.
Steven Curtis Chapman’s A Great Adventure, LIVE Solo Performances of Timeless Hits is nominated for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year and includes “My Redeemer Is Faithful and True,” co-written by Steven Curtis Chapman and James Isaac Elliott, Belmont’s Songwriting Chair. Chapman’s album is also nominated for Long Form Video of the Year.
Gloria Gaynor’s album Testimony is nominated for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year which includes “He Won’t Let Go,” co-written by Belmont Songwriting Instructor Drew Ramsey, Gloria Gaynor and Shannon Sanders. “He Won’t Let Go” is nominated for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year.
Selah’s album Firm Foundation has been nominated for Inspirational Album of the Year, which includes “Firm Foundation” co-written by Belmont songwriting alumna Rachel Hale and commercial music alumna Piper Jones.
“Dead Man Walking,” co-written by Belmont alumna Emily Weisband, Jeremy Camp and Jordan Sapp, has been nominated for Song of the Year. The single has also been nominated for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.
Belmont Adjunct Songwriting Professor Cindy Morgan received a nomination for Instrumental Album of the Year with “Tune My Heart” by Andrew Greer & Friends.
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Ohio Wesleyan University a one year grant of $86,735 in order to fund projects that advance field ecology and data science through virtual teaching tools. Among the four funded projects is “Lichens in Diverse Landscapes,” co-led by Belmont Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Matthew Heard.
Initially, Heard was a part of an interdisciplinary team of faculty members from small undergraduate institutions across the U.S. who received a grant from the National Science Foundation. In addition to his colleagues, Drs. Danielle Garneau at SUNY Plattsburg and Mary Beth Kolozsvary at Siena College, Heard helped lead the Lichens in Diverse Landscape Project.
Heard explained, “The goal was to develop an activity for students that focused on using lichens that grow on trees as an assessment tool for looking at air pollution impacts and how humans affect the environment.”
The awarded grant aims to help faculty members create opportunities for students to engage in interactive environmental labs and research projects despite the challenges from COVID-19. The Ecology Research as Education Network (EREN), where Heard serves as a board member, and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) work together to fund these projects. The project will be utilized by students all across the United States and Canada this fall and spring.
To read the original article from Ohio Wesleyan click here.
Belmont’s Veteran Success Team greeted new and continuing student veterans for the fall semester with a drive-thru Welcome Back event a couple days before classes began. On Monday morning, student veterans pulled into parking spaces in front of the Lila C. Bunch library, where members of the Veteran Success Team met them at their cars, handed out welcome back kits and checked in briefly with each student veteran about the upcoming semester.
The longstanding tradition of a welcome dinner was canceled out of health and safety precautions, but Veteran Success Team Coach Kim Powell said the team was ready to welcome student veterans in other creative ways.
“When classes shifted to online over the spring and summer due to COVID-19, we heard from many of our student veterans who were struggling with isolation and technology issues with the online format,” Powell explained. “We’ve been assisting them with these issues but wanted to find a way for an in-person touchpoint for the fall semester while still maintaining social distancing, mask and other important campus safety guidelines.”
The drive-thru event provided the opportunity for more than 135 undergraduate and graduate student veterans to receive welcome back kits, which included food items and school supplies. Student veterans who are new to Belmont for the fall semester also received Bruin Vet kits, which are typically handed out at orientation and include a Bruin Vets t-shirt, laptop sticker and school supplies. The Bruin Vet kits also include a Bruin Vet field guide, developed by the Veteran Success Team with input from student veterans, which introduces new students to the Veteran Success Team, the Bruin Vets Center, the student veteran community and other important campus resources.
A Belmont student veteran receives a Welcome Back kit at the drive through event.
“Although in-person classes have not yet started for undergraduate students, some of our student veterans are in graduate programs that started classes on campus this week. It was important to us to engage with all of our student veterans who live locally as they start the semester,” said Powell. “We heard over and over from students who showed up on Monday how good it was to connect with us, especially from new student veterans who had yet to meet us.”
The Veteran Success Team is led by Dr. Mimi Barnard, associate provost of interdisciplinary studies and global education. Team members operate the Bruin Vets Center in Fidelity Hall, plan military and veteran specific events for students, assist with plugging student veterans into campus resources, and more.
Barnard explained, “The Veteran Success Team evolved from the cross-functional team of faculty and staff who participated in the first Veteran Reconnect Grant (2015, $95,000) and also in the most recent grant award (2019, $150,000). Student veterans tell us that they appreciate the personal support they receive at Belmont, the encouragement of staff and faculty, and the ability to relax and study in the Bruin Vets Center.”
Dr. Anthony Blash, associate professor in the Belmont University College of Pharmacy, was invited to publish a foundational article on Pharmacy Informatics by the Healthcare Management Information Systems Society (HIMSS), North America.
The article, entitled Pharmacy Informatics and Its Cross-Functional Role in Healthcare, was written to help others understand the role of Pharmacy Informatics in organizational success. This article and other informative publications on Healthcare Informatics may be found in the HIMSS Resource Center, where visitors are invited to “get actionable insights into health information and technology topics” from subject matter experts.
