IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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Belmont Again Ranked One of the ‘Most Beautiful College Campuses in America’ by Active Times

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Again Ranked One of the ‘Most Beautiful College Campuses in America’ by Active Times

Active Times again recently placed Belmont high on its list of 50 of the “The Most Beautiful College Campuses in America.”

Recognizing that many prospective college students and their parents think about a university’s academic rigor, prestige and price when choosing where to attend, another factor to consider is the beauty of the campus itself.

Active Times scoured media coverage, online reviews and other accolades to compile a list of schools from coast to coast with campuses that stand above the rest.

Belmont Announces Return to Campus Plans

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Announces Return to Campus Plans

In an email to students, families, faculty and staff earlier today, Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher offered new details on the University’s plans for the Fall 2020 “Return to Campus” and linked to the University’s new Return to Campus website: http://belmont.edu/return/.

Fisher’s email read, “Those of you who have been anxiously awaiting answers or seeking assurances about our approach to fall will hopefully find some of both within. We think of this plan as an ongoing, adjustable playbook – one that will map out a course for us to regain as much normalcy as possible while also doing our part to limit the spread and impact of COVID-19. While the plan covers many details, there are more still to be determined; be expecting frequent updates and additions as important topics are assessed and more decisions are made. Our commitment is to keep you updated regularly so you have as much information as possible prior to returning in August.”

Fisher said he wanted to affirm several things as the Belmont community reviews this plan:

  • We are taking your safety and the safety of our students very seriously. This remains the top priority in all planning efforts and decision-making.
  • We all must take the necessary steps to deliver an educational experience that meets what our students have come to expect at Belmont. This includes learning new technologies, creating flexible course models and taking advantage of professional development resources.
  • We must remain committed to building and maintaining connection with our students through innovative practices. Our mission is to foster not only their intellectual growth but also their social, personal and spiritual growth – regardless of any limitations on in-person interactions we may face moving forward.
  • While it is our goal to complete the term under our adjusted academic calendar, we will follow all federal, state and local health guidance related to the pandemic and assess or adjust our plans as necessary.

It will be critical for everyone to abide by the health and safety protocols described in the plan. This includes wearing masks, washing hands regularly, staying home when sick and following illness reporting and isolation protocols. Following these important rules will offer the University its best chance to complete the fall term.

Belmont University Walks with Shawn

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University Walks with Shawn

Belmont University was proud to partner with the Edgehill Black History Tour Walk for Justice on Saturday, June 27 for a #WalkwithShawn.

Shawn Dromgoole, a black man who grew up in the South Nashville area, has recently been afraid to go for a walk in his own neighborhood. The Nashville community has begun taking walks together to show support, and a special walk happened this weekend that began on Belmont’s campus and ended on 12th Ave S.

Belmont was eager to be one of the hosts and serve as the starting location for the walk for Dromgoole as a way for the community to show support, solidarity and strength for this friend and neighbor.

Dromgoole speaks at the Edgehill Black History Tour
Shawn Dromgoole speaks at the Edgehill Black History Tour starting at Belmont University and walking around the Edgehill neighborhood in support of We Walk with Shawn in Nashville, Tennessee, June 27, 2020.

Dromgoole said, “I am so excited and honored we have an opportunity to be the voice for the voiceless and to walk for those who are yet still afraid to walk in their community. Together we can change the world one neighborhood at a time.”

View a gallery of photos from the walk here.

Alumnus Kyle Smith Launches Dynamic Database Programming Business

Haley Charlton
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Alumnus Kyle Smith Launches Dynamic Database Programming Business

Since graduating from Belmont in 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Music Business, alumnus Kyle Smith has launched an event-driven, programming business called SeedTree DB.

After graduating from Belmont, Smith moved to Toronto, Canada and worked at ole Media Management (now Anthem Entertainment) before earning his law degree from Western Law in London Ontario, where he continued to specialize on musical rights management. In his last semester at Western Law, Smith did an “externship” at Southwestern Law in Los Angeles, where he took musical entertainment law courses. Since graduating, Smith has been working on developing a new kind of database technology.

Smith explained that there are two kinds of software: databases and general purpose. Most databases use query language and most general purpose use programming language. After many years of researching information theory and mathematics, Smith created a JavaScript application that is both a database and general purpose: a kind of software that uses the same language for data retrieval and for scripting instructions. This has far-reaching implications, though it will take some time for those implications to properly be worked out. 

Although the business is in the early stages, Smith filed a non-provisional patent with Karquist Sparkman (whose clients include Microsoft and Amazon) for a hierarchical script database a few months ago and is now past the R&D stage and into the customer discovery stage. He hopes to hire his first employees and make his first sales this summer.

Seed Tree DB Logo

“This system is a dynamic database that evolves over time given different events. It’s basically merging an app and a database into one thing,” Smith explained. “An analogy is if the English language so far had nouns as one way of communicating and verbs as another and then someone came along and put them next to each other in sentences and paragraphs.”

Visit seedtreedb.com for more information. More on Smith’s mathematics research can also be found on this YouTube playlist.

“As much as I needed information theory and mathematics to make my technology, if I hadn’t already gone to law school, worked in music publishing on Music Row in Nashville and on Bay Street in Toronto, as well as play guitar and mandolin in various bands (one of which competed in Belmont’s County Music Showcase), I don’t think I would’ve had the written language skills to think up a database/program hybrid,” Smith explained. “I had to apply law and music techniques to make the invention.”

Smith has been working with New Ventures BC in their Distance Venture Accelerator Program since November. He meets with Executive in Residence Alan Foster once a week to receive invaluable assistance, help in finding the right product-market fit and go-to-market strategy.

In addition to their Distance Venture Accelerator Program, Smith participated in New Ventures BC’s annual tech competition, presented by Innovate BC. Their competition is the largest and longest running tech competition in British Columbia, offering education, coaching and awarding $250,000 in cash and prizes to startups.

The New Ventures BC Distance Venture Accelerator Program helps propel tech startups from across the province forward. “It was unlikely I’d win New Venture BC’s competition this year, but I decided to join on the advice of New Ventures BC’s board chair, Mike Volker. Mike is also the co-founder and host of VANTEC, which is one of the largest Angel networks in Canada,” Smith explained. “Though I didn’t win, the competition helped me further refine my business, with expert webinars and one-on-one mentorship.”

Rains Wins Blackboard Catalyst Award

Haley Charlton
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Rains Wins Blackboard Catalyst Award

Belmont Instructional Technology Specialist Chris Rains has been named the 2020 winner of the Blackboard Catalyst Award for Training and Professional Development, which honors those who use Blackboard programs to support and enhance their faculty and staff’s training and professional development. This can include anything from creative learning opportunities to on-the-job training in the newest technologies, and should display an organization-wide dedication to innovative development programs.

Rains said he is proud and honored to receive Blackboard’s Catalyst Award for Professional Development. “I believe this award reflects the high-quality professional development and learning opportunities our Department of Instructional Technology provides here at Belmont,”  he said. “When designing our professional development we do so with the instructor in mind. We consider why the content is important and how it can help instructors in their classrooms and with their students. We believe that the more personal, engaging and interactive these opportunities can be, the more the instructors will be able to enjoy the learning experience and also leave with a few new tools and techniques that can be used in their course.”

Belmont nominated Rains to recognize his contributions to promoting and supporting Blackboard adoption among Belmont faculty. The award focuses on his work to increase adoption through the creation of a support site and the redesign of training and onboarding experiences. The nomination focuses especially on his work to promote Blackboard’s Ultra Course Experience.

Rains re-designed all onboarding and training experiences. He transformed what was a three-hour, step-by-step technical ‘Getting Started with Blackboard’ workshop into a hands-on, gamified learning experience. Attendees work through ‘levels of Ultra’ constructed of challenges centered on pedagogical use cases. This approach provides instructors more choice over the depth that they learn Ultra. After attendees complete all the levels, Rains directs them towards a Blackboard Organization within Belmont’s Blackboard Learn environment entitled ‘Blackboard Support of Instructors.’ Rains designed and developed this organization to serve as a one-stop support site for using Blackboard Learn at Belmont. The organization contains basic information about using Blackboard, offers self-paced training modules and contains more than 200 instructional tutorials, which Rains predominantly created.

Finally, Rains strategized with specific departments on campus, working with their leadership to shift the entire faculty at one time. One department and entire college administratively decided that all their faculty would use Ultra. Rains devoted time to meet one-on-one with instructors in these programs as needed.

Catalyst Award Winner Logo

Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts.

“We’re pleased to honor this year’s Blackboard Catalyst Award winners for their commitment to improving the educational experience for all learners through EdTech and sharing these insights with the broader community,” said Lee Blakemore, Chief Client Officer and President, Global Markets at Blackboard. “We’re proud to partner with institutions who are innovating to advance student success.”

Rains will be announced alongside other Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during BbWorld 2020, Blackboard’s annual user conference to be held virtually July 21 and 22.  Blackboard is the leading provider of learner success-focused technology solutions and services. Its product portfolio is unmatched in the marketplace, spanning teaching and learning, analytics, community engagement and student services.

For more information on the Blackboard Catalyst Awards, visit: community.blackboard.com/catalystawards.

About Blackboard

Blackboard’s mission is to advance learning in partnership with the world’s education community so that more students, educators and institutions can realize their ambitions today and prepare for tomorrow. Learn more at blackboard.com and follow @Blackboard on Twitter.

Belmont University Joins Governor Bill Lee’s TN Strong Mask Movement

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University Joins Governor Bill Lee’s TN Strong Mask Movement

Belmont University is partnering with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Economic Recovery Group (ERG) on the new TN Strong Mask Movement, a plan to distribute more than 300,000 free or low-cost cloth face coverings across the state through partnerships with 31 flagship brands at a projected value of more than $3 million.

While Belmont will use a portion of the masks for its campus, many will be distributed to members of neighboring communities in partnership with The Store. The Store, which opened earlier this year, is a free, referral-based grocery store started by Belmont alumnus Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams Paisley, which provides groceries to people working toward self-sufficiency. Through this movement, patrons of The Store will leave not only with important food resources, but also a resource to help manage the risk of COVID-19.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said the University is proud to join these efforts as it takes Belmont’s commitment to safety for both the Belmont campus and the surrounding community a step further. “The needs of our students, faculty and staff, but also our neighbors, are always a priority at Belmont,” he said. “We want to be a helpful resource for our community, and we recognize this as an opportunity to help get much-needed masks into the hands of those who may not be able to afford them. Through our work with The Store and other community partnerships, we plan to provide these critical resources for those around us and to continue strengthening our relationships in our city.”

The CDC recently released new guidance for public events and gatherings, strongly encouraging wearing masks to lower the risk of exposure and reduce the spread of COVID-19. As Tennessee continues to reopen the economy and residents and travelers alike move about the state, masks have become a crucial health accessory. Through the TN Strong Mask Movement, residents can stay safe while wearing brands synonymous with Tennessee from the worlds of sports, education and business.

“Tennesseans have stepped up to do their part and keep their neighbors safe throughout this health crisis,” said Director of the Economic Recovery Group Mark Ezell. “The more we can celebrate masks and make them fun, the more lives we ultimately protect. These businesses are the heart and soul of Tennessee, and we’re grateful to them for helping our citizens stay healthy and have a little fun sporting their favorite brands while they’re at it.”

Other participating brands include Amazon, BlueCross BlueShield, Bridgestone, FedEx, Nashville Predators, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., Tennessee Titans, TriStar Health, Tractor Supply and several other Tennessee universities.

About Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group

Governor Bill Lee established the Economic Recovery Group, a joint effort between state departments, members of the legislature, and leaders from the private sector to build guidance to safely reboot Tennessee’s economy. The group is led by Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell.

Carr, Holt Discuss The Real Deal With #BlackoutTuesday

Haley Charlton
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Carr, Holt Discuss The Real Deal With #BlackoutTuesday

Associate Dean and Associate Professor in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business Dr. Cheryl Carr and Assistant Professor in CEMB Eric Holt participated in “The Real Deal With #Blackouttuesday,” a panel discussion sponsored by the Nashville Museum of African American Music and the Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville on June 23. 

The panel explored the purpose and promise of #TheShowMustBePaused, popularly known as #Blackouttuesday, an initiative designed to challenge entertainment companies’ concerning exploitation of the musical contributions of African Americans. The discussion looked toward contemplating how to build a more equitable music industry for the future.

Carr moderated and Holt discussed as one of the panelists. Other panelists included:

  • Candice Watkins, Vice President, Marketing, Big Loud Records
  • Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, the Grammy-nominated songwriting duo, Louis York, and founders of Weirdo Workshop
  • Gina Miller, SVP and General Manager Entertainment One (eOne Nashville, Music)

About this panel series

Presented in celebration of Black Music Month, this panel is the first in a series of conversations about Black experiences and participation in the music industry hosted by the National Museum of African American Music and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville as part of NMAAM’s Fine Tuning: A Masterclass Series.

About Fine Tuning: A Masterclass Series

Fine Tuning is a masterclass that consists of instructional, contextual, theory-based lessons and professional development for aspiring artists and vocalists. Each course is taught through lectures, interactive music lessons and performance. This program allows attendees to learn in an intimate setting from professionals who have excelled in classical, jazz, blues, sacred, gospel, popular and hip-hop.

Read more about the speakers on the Eventbrite page.

Belmont College of Pharmacy Celebrates Key Placements in Healthcare Informatics

Haley Charlton
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Belmont College of Pharmacy Celebrates Key Placements in Healthcare Informatics

Tears of joy, hugs and lots of high-fives were abundant at Belmont University as pharmacy students revealed where they were accepted into residency this spring.

Belmont’s College of Pharmacy fourth-year students joined thousands of students nationwide on match day, where each individual learned where they will continue their pharmacy training after graduation in May. Students within the Healthcare Informatics track that participated in the residency match will continue their careers as residents at institutions across the country this summer.

Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy is becoming a nationally-recognized center for practice and leadership in pharmacy education with an innovative clinical doctorate. Building on the traditional Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum, the college offers students the opportunity to specialize in one of four areas: pharmacy management, healthcare informatics, missions and pharmacotherapy. Each of these areas educate students for life-long professional improvement and service as competent and compassionate practitioners.

“I could not be more pleased with the residency match results for students within the informatics focus,” said Dr. Anthony Blash, the professor primarily responsible for the healthcare informatics concentration at the College of Pharmacy. “These results are essential to Belmont University’s mission to empower men and women of diverse backgrounds to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.”

Dr. Angelina Babakitis of Phoenix, Arizona said she will move on to a fellowship with ConneXion360, a medical communications agency in Dallas, Texas. “This position will allow me to learn the skills required for communicating with healthcare providers for pharmaceutical companies and get my foot in the door with the pharmaceutical industry,” said Babakitis.

Dr. Austin Simmons of Ardmore, Tennessee, who is headed to Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth, Mississippi for his PGY1 residency, was asked if his Informatics experiences came up during the residency interviews. “Yes, very much so. Whenever I was asked about what I was most proud of on my CV, I always talked about our team that developed an Amazon Alexa Skill with drug information we researched about the top 200 drugs. It definitely was something that I think stood out because I was able to have a long conversation about what we went through in order to achieve that goal and how I could apply what I learned to a residency,” said Simmons.

Dr. Mary Lankford did not participate in the match, but was quickly hired in the marketplace post graduation. “I am excited to announce that I have accepted a pharmacy informatics position with the Dispensary of Hope, a not-for-profit, national charitable medication distributor based in Nashville. This is a diverse role that will allow me to learn more about the pharmaceutical supply chain while building skills in IT and predictive analytics, research and development and formulary management. I feel incredibly blessed to be joining such an amazing team dedicated to increasing medication accessibility and affordability to those most in need,” said Lankford.

Belmont Security Officer Brings Campus Awareness to Juneteenth History

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Security Officer Brings Campus Awareness to Juneteenth History

When Belmont alumna and security patrol officer Lauren Sheppard heard two of her coworkers talking about Juneteenth and asking what it meant and the history behind it, she immediately jumped in to explain the significance of the date. As a Texas native and black woman, Sheppard said the conversation incited something in her to want to share more information with the rest of the department.

Although Juneteenth is a big celebration in Texas, as it is was the first state to declare June 19 an official state holiday in 1980, Sheppard decided to do further research to design an informational poster to help educate those around her and in the Belmont community. Her poster explains facts about Juneteenth, including:

  • Juneteenth references June 19, 1865, commemorating the date when all slaves in Texas were emancipated
  • The Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed slaves almost two and a half years earlier, but enforcement of the proclamation had been slow and inconsistent
  • It was not until December 6, 1865 that the 13th Amendment abolished slavery throughout the entire United States
  • Celebrating looks like barbequing, dancing, storytelling and the singing of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”
  • The day is also referred to as Freedom Day and Jubilee Day
Poster about Juneteenth

Sheppard said she used design elements on the poster to really make the numbers stand out. “It was 900 days before the Texas slaves knew they were free. It was 89 years before July 4th even meant anything to a slave. I wanted the numbers to be large and in your face so you think about them. These people were free on paper, but they did not know that for over two years,” she explained. “I hoped that the numbers would be eye opening; I didn’t know the numbers even though Juneteenth is a part of my culture.”

Through her research, Sheppard said she learned many new things that other states use in their celebrations that she was unaware of, like the official Juneteenth flag and all that it symbolizes. She said she put Juneteenth in the center of the poster in a font that felt celebratory.

“I really just wanted other people to be educated on what Juneteenth is and hopefully create conversations around it,” Sheppard said. “At the end, I want people to care. That was something that really dug at me; I just want you to care about it. It’s not just my history; it’s our history as Americans.”

Panvini Published in The American Biology Teacher

Haley Charlton
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Panvini Published in The American Biology Teacher

Professor of Biology Darlene Panvini authored an article recently published in The American Biology Teacher (Volume 82, Issue 5). The article, “Guided Journaling: Focused Writing to Enhance Learning during a STEM Short-Term Study Abroad Course,” explores the use of daily guided journaling worksheets (GJW’s) as a format that enhances student learning in a short-term study abroad course.

Panvini, who has co-led the Tropical Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainability Maymester program to Costa Rica with Dr. John Niedzwiecki for four years, developed GJW’s to address pedagogical challenges inherent in teaching an entire STEM course over a short-term faculty led study abroad program, which is typically 2-3 weeks in length. The article details how GJW’s sharpen student focus and foster learning through several modalities, including thinking routines, content graphic organizers and a variety of writing prompts. The article also highlights how GJW’s can be modified for other types of experiential teaching situations.

Panvini in her article also elaborates how GJW’s facilitate connections between students’ study abroad experiences and assigned texts. “The GJWs allow me to have a daily written dialogue with students as they learn, question and reflect,” she said. “One powerful assignment is when students use a simple prompt like, “I used to think …. and now I think…” to reflect on their experiences after a two-night home stay with local families. Another writing activity asks students to examine a national park from the perspectives of an ecotourist and a scientist, which helps students apply and see the relevance of science. Through the GJWs, the students develop a creative and thoughtful documentary of their experiences and their learning in Costa Rica.”

The Costa Rica Maymester program, offered through Belmont Abroad, provides opportunities for students to be immersed in a country that seeks to balance environmental protection within a cultural and economic context and is conducted primarily at the CIEE campus in San Luis de Monteverde in Puntarenas province, with shorter stays at La Selva Biological Station in Heredia province and Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.

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