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 Employees Join Community Partners in Disaster Relief Efforts

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Employees Join Community Partners in Disaster Relief Efforts

Great work is being done out of First Community Church, which is working with Project Connect Nashville, a Christian social service ministry that began in the aftermath of the 2010 flood. Belmont has come alongside these community partners to help staff their disaster response team, serving those in North Nashville who suffered tornado devastation, followed by the Covid-19 lockdown, and now the massive loss of employment. 

The response team from Mississippi has a commercial kitchen on wheels at the site of the church’s Storehouse. The Storehouse also has rooms full of needed supplies, from diapers and formula to household cleaning products and toilet paper.  

Belmont is continuously providing drivers with cars to deliver 250 meals a day to those who can’t come to the site, and to help sort donations of clothing, food, etc.  In addition to doing the delivery in a one-mile radius, volunteers ask (from a safe distance) if those who are unable to leave their homes need additional supplies. In that case, the drivers return to the Storehouse to pick up and deliver supplies.

The Storehouse
The Storehouse where Belmont volunteers sort donations.

Vice President of Spiritual Development Dr. Todd Lake said, “Each day, Belmont faculty and staff volunteers from across departments and colleges are living out our calling to be Nashville’s university as we exemplify our Christian faith by responding to the imperative expressed in James 1:22, which states, ‘Do not merely listen to the word…Do what it says.’”

Gloves, hand sanitizer and safe distancing procedures are being used, and only the driver (and members of his or her household) do the deliveries. Those interested in signing up for a volunteer shift from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. can do so here.

Belmont Creates More Than 150 New Maymester Opportunities, Available to All Students

Katie McAdams
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Belmont Creates More Than 150 New Maymester Opportunities, Available to All Students

In an effort to provide students with opportunities to continue learning and connecting with the Belmont community during this season of social distancing, Belmont University announced this week that there will be more than 150 online courses offered for the 2020 Maymester term.

Due to the pandemic, many of the previously scheduled Maymester 2020 Study Abroad courses are being moved online, and a number of new courses have been added to the term.

Dr. Mimi Barnard, associate provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education (ISGE), said this opportunity is absolutely extraordinary. “Belmont faculty knew students had counted on their courses to progress towards their degrees and that we’re staying safe at home. So, the timing was right to move courses online,” she said. “It’s wonderful that the University allowed study abroad students, as well as all Belmont students, to take advantage of the study abroad reduced tuition rate—what a marvelous incentive to help students to maximize their time and effort!”

In light of the current pandemic, the University has decided to offer all courses during the 2020 Maymester term to all currently enrolled students for a discounted rate of $443 per credit hour, as opposed to the standard rate of $1,330 per credit hour. Classes during June and July will still be available at the standard rate.

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “Our faculty have created an exciting set of offerings that we hope all students will review and consider. I’m thrilled we can use these circumstances to make new opportunities available to students, and I’m anxiously looking forward to the time when we can once again safely travel to places far and wide and literally offer the world to our student body.”

All Maymester course listings are available now on Belmont Classfinder under the tab labeled “BELL Core/Study Abroad/Alternate Locations” and then by clicking the search icon for “Maymester.” Registration for these courses is available until May 4, 2020. Students may register for no more than 16 credit hours across the summer registration period including Maymester, Summer 1, Summer 2 and full (10 week) summer terms.

Lovvorn Co-Authors Chapter in Methodology Text

Haley Charlton
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Lovvorn Co-Authors Chapter in Methodology Text

Dr. Jason Lovvorn, associate professor of English, co-wrote with Dr. Kevin Leander (Vanderbilt University) a chapter in a recently published book, Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Theory in Literacy Studies Research: A How-To Guide (Myers Education Press, 2020).

Their chapter, titled “Following Texts, Bodies, and Objects in Everyday Practice: Thinking With Actor Network Theory,” reexamines a previously published study and focuses on how and why certain theoretical lenses were put into practice. The piece also highlights how literacy researchers might utilize Actor Network Theory as a way of framing their thinking in qualitative, ethnographic inquiry.

Hawley Featured on Podcast about Artificial Intelligence

Haley Charlton
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Hawley Featured on Podcast about Artificial Intelligence

Do machines think? What are the ethical questions that need to be answered as we consider the use of artificial intelligence (AI)?

Dr. Scott Hawley, associate professor of physics at Belmont, and Dr. John Wyatt of University College London offer insight through the stories that surround AI in an episode of The Afterword podcast.

The pair talk about the history of AI, its positive aspects and how data impacts AI. Listen to the episode here which claims, “If you’ve ever thought robots may take over the world or that the future belongs to dystopian entities, then this episode may help clear up the facts verses the fiction regarding artificial intelligence.”

Heard Receives Grant from National Science Foundation

Haley Charlton
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Heard Receives Grant from National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Assistant Professor of Biology Matt Heard (Principal Investigator) with a grant from the Division of Environmental Biology. The grant, titled “Integrating large datasets into undergraduate teaching and research through a collaborative workshop with EREN, NEON and Project EDDIE” will host a series of workshops at Belmont University.

These workshops will bring together experts from three national networks: the Ecological Research Education Network (EREN), the National Ecological Observation Network (NEON), and Project EDDIE (Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration). The focus of these workshops will be to provide training to undergraduate faculty in using large-scale ecological data to design new research projects and teaching activities that enhance understanding of environmental issues and how to manage large-scale data.

The co-principal investigators on the grant are Dr. Laurel Anderson (Ohio Wesleyan University), Dr. Kristy Hopfensperger (Northern Kentucky University) and Dr. Sara Scanga (Utica College). Dr. Megan Jones from the National Ecological Observation Network and Dr. Catherine O’Reilly from Project EDDIE and Illinois State University are also co-leaders on this grant.

For more information on this grant, please see the grant award abstract from NSF.

Be Well BU Team Produces ‘Wellness While We Wait’ Video Series

Haley Charlton
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Be Well BU Team Produces ‘Wellness While We Wait’ Video Series

While the Belmont community adapts to the new normal of staying, studying and working at home, the Be Well BU team is offering holistic wellness tips each week through their “Wellness While We Wait” video series. A collaboration between Belmont’s Counseling Services, Fitness and Recreation and University Ministries, the series is intended to help people stay connected and build healthy habits in the midst of disruption.

The team originally met to discuss the students’ needs in this unexpected and uncertain season and how to better reach them with appropriate resources. The result was the idea to collaboratively create a series of short videos highlighting physical, emotional, spiritual and occupational wellness tips. The series will continue three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday until final exams through the playlist on Belmont’s Youtube Channel.

Director of Belmont Counseling Services Katherine Cornelius said this was an important effort for several reasons. “This is an INCREDIBLY stressful time for folks. None of us have experienced anything like this before,” she explained. “We wanted to show solidarity and care for the student body. In times of trauma, it’s hard to focus on a lot of words and emails coming at you. We wanted this information to be easily accessed and digested. We wanted it to be practical.”

Spiritual Wellness Logo

Once the team started the series, they also realized how applicable it is to the whole Belmont Community, including faculty and staff.

Cornelius continued, “As we spoke, several of us realized how much meeting virtually with our colleagues has meant during this time. Simply seeing my team’s faces each day on our zoom meeting and having a space to share our experiences has been a significant support for me personally. We wanted to share that with our BU Community and specifically chose the media of video to add that human connection.”

Subject matter experts were given the opportunity to think through topics that are foundational to practicing wellness in their fields. There was also an emphasis on providing information that is applicable at home. For instance, the FitRec department talks a lot about workout programming, but learning how to complete a workout with barbells and weights is not useful without those things at your disposal. So, this series took the opportunity to talk about the same thing – workout programming – but shifted the focus to highlight how people can complete a workout at home without much exercise equipment available.

Physical Wellness Logo

Assistant Director of Fitness and Recreation Joe Mankowski said he hopes people enjoy the videos, but more importantly that they use this time to try one of the practices that they see in the videos.

“Even though this time seems like a season where all of your habits and routines are out of whack, we can’t overlook the opportunity that we have to build new habits so that they stick when life does get back to normal,” he said. “I hope that the student who has been hesitant to exercise because they feel lost watches our video and gives it a try between virtual classes. I hope that the student who has been struggling with feelings of anxiety during this season watches the videos from the Counseling Services team and tries out the practice of mindfulness. Overall, I hope that our students use these and many other tools that they now have at their disposal to stay well so that when we all get back together, we can continue to be the strong, vibrant Belmont community that we all know and love.”

These efforts also resulted in the creation of a weekly BeWellBU email for faculty and staff that will highlight tips for working remotely and thriving during this time, specifically in the areas of spiritual, emotional and physical wellness. The first one went out last Friday and included a video from various faculty and staff sharing the message that “you are not alone,” as well as the Wellness While You Wait series.

Screen Shot of Playlist on YouTube

The team hopes the Belmont community takes away the fact that no one is alone in anything he or she is feeling. “We are all adrift, but we are adrift together,” said Cornelius. “Any time I can look over at my neighbor’s raft and know they are weathering similar waves and challenges that I am, it gives me hope and a sense of connection. Even though we are not on campus with one another, we are still here, here to listen, here to empathize, here to care.”

Belmont Ranked No. 1 ‘Hidden Gem’ Music School

Katie McAdams
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Belmont Ranked No. 1 ‘Hidden Gem’ Music School

In a new Music School Central publication written by Bill Zuckerman, Belmont University was ranked the number one hidden gem music school in 2020. The article highlights Belmont’s School of Music, Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business (CEMB), unique majors available and the location of Music City, among other strengths.

Zuckerman explained the schools on the list are “schools with amazing faculty, incredible resources and alumni who have accomplished a tremendous amount in music.” The article explained that the schools mentioned have unique, niche programs only available in a handful of schools, such as contemporary music, or perhaps are in environments that are more conducive to some students, like liberal arts colleges.

“Located in the capital of music, students at Belmont frequently gain internship opportunities in companies on ‘Music Row’ – an area of Nashville where large conglomeration of music companies have their own campuses,” wrote Zuckerman.

He explained that Belmont offers an impressive list of unique majors only available at a handful of colleges including songwriting, music business, audio production, commercial music composition and more. Zuckerman said, “Belmont is unsurpassed in its contemporary music program; it is among the very best in the country in this particular genre.” While Belmont is best known for contemporary music offerings, Zuckerman states that the University also has a solid classical music performance program.

In the article, Belmont’s CEMB is compared to New York University’s Clive Davis program, as both focus on skills to succeed in the music industry rather than performance.

Alumna Receives Fully-Funded Residency at Main Street Arts

Katie McAdams
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Alumna Receives Fully-Funded Residency at Main Street Arts

Alumna Jessi Baumgartner, a design communications graduate of 2018 and Leu Scholarship recipient, recently received full funding for a residency program with Main Street Arts in Clifton Springs, New York, beginning in June. Main Street Arts is a nonprofit arts organization and art gallery specializing in showcasing contemporary art and fine craft from emerging and established Upstate New York artists.

Baumgartner said she is captivated by the contrast between modern urban chaos and small-town kitsch. “Imagine a rural one-road town: decrepit gas stations hugged by sprawling cracked sidewalks, isolated figures drudging around convenience stores,” she proposed. “Such lonesome scenes have been my painting subject since 2017.”

Baumgartner observed that Nashville, in the height of its adolescence, has been a prime location to study this. “That being said, its idiosyncrasies are unique to its region. In the past I have only explored the small town/large town disparity as it manifests in the South; while in Clifton Springs, itself a small town, I will examine this same relationship but with northern U.S. nuance,” she said.

"Millies Painting" by Jessi Baumgartner
“Millies Painting” by Jessi Baumgartner

“With upstate New York as my muse, I intend to create ten new paintings continuing my thesis.”

Belmont Learning Centers Transition Online to Serve Students

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Learning Centers Transition Online to Serve Students

When Belmont made the decision to move the rest of the Spring 2020 semester online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Belmont Learning Centers quickly moved their services online to assist with students’ needs during the transition. The Belmont Learning Centers offer free tutoring in math, physics, biology, chemistry, programming, writing and languages to all Belmont students.

The one-on-one tutoring approach is ideal for connecting each student with his or her personal learning goals and techniques, and the diversity of the tutoring staff allows for students to find a delivery method that suits their speed and readiness. Tutors are peer students, graduate students and several adjunct faculty.

Learning Centers Coordinator Michael Hudson said during this remarkably confusing and frustrating time, it was crucial to have as many stable touch points as possible. “The Learning Centers are always here for support, and it seemed that that consistency was more important than ever. We are peer voices and connections to academic content, and that should remain as constant as possible,” she explained.

Hudson worked with Belmont’s instructional technology team to train each tutor and set up the online collaborate rooms. Tutors created and curated content and reworked their schedules based on their new time zones at home.

Students who would like to access their services should visit the Learning Centers website, choose the appropriate center and select the tutor’s name during their shift to enter their collaborate room. Math and science sessions are one hour, writing sessions are 45 minutes and LLC sessions are one hour. Tutors pitch in on a first come first served basis. Students should be prepared with photos of textbook problems, papers, assignments, etc to share with their tutors.

Hudson said this transition also allows for the student tutors not to lose income during the upheaval. She said, “One of the issues that doesn’t get much coverage is how the loss of on campus jobs really affects students who depend on that work. They do an amazing job every day for their fellow Belmont students, and I wanted to do my best to create as much stability for them as possible.”

Belmont’s Jack C. Massey College of Business Partners with Operation Stand Down for Veterans Fellowship Program

Haley Charlton
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Belmont’s Jack C. Massey College of Business Partners with Operation Stand Down for Veterans Fellowship Program

As part of Belmont University’s ongoing work for veterans to be prepared in job readiness, the Jack C. Massey College of Business is working with Operation Stand Down Tennessee on their Veteran Fellowship Program (VFP), an innovative career pathway program combining a business education module through Belmont and experiential employment internships through Middle Tennessee employers.

Designed as a collaborative education and employment program, fellows will pair hands-on professional experience with a business acumen certificate program. Veterans and veteran spouses who complete the five-month program will experience transformational success as they enter or re-enter the civilian workforce. VFP will assist the veteran or veteran spouse with career discernment, business fluency, professional development and an understanding of the civilian workspace.

“Veterans are often underemployed when they join or re-join the workforce because they have difficulty translating their military experience into civilian business terms. The combination of hands-on experience and a business acumen certificate from Belmont University will help connect this country’s greatest workforce to a role at a level befitting their skillset,” said OSDTN CEO John Krenson.

Each week, Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business will provide three-hour introductory business courses to the fellows, as well as a variety of seminars, panels, learning labs and events. The course of study will include topics critical to today’s workforce such as accounting, branding and marketing, among others. The program is a practical way for fellows to broaden their business skills and expand their knowledge in functional business areas.

Dean of the Jack C. Massey College of Business Dr. Sarah Gardial said the school is proud to be involved with the Operation Stand Down Fellows Program. “Through our partnership, these veterans gain educational skills that apply immediately to their fellow internships,” she said. “We believe this lockstep approach through internship and educational programming provides a greater success as they transition to the workforce.”

Fellows will work 32 hours per week with a host employer to complement their classroom education with workplace experiences. Fellows are expected to meet the same high standards as regular employees, receive a meaningful learning opportunity and add value to Nashville businesses. Host employers will be in the greater Nashville area and include businesses from industries such as entertainment, service, food and beverage and hospitality.

The fellowship begins in August 2020. Applications are open now, and the deadline to apply is May 1. A selection panel comprised of Belmont and OSDTN staff will review applications and narrow the field of candidates to a pool of qualified potential fellows. In the application, candidates are asked to rank their industry preference. Based on the rankings and the selection panel review, employers will interview prospective fellows to rank their preference for placements.

Eligible fellows are Post-9/11 Veterans or Post-9/11 veteran spouses who are on terminal leave or who have fully exited the military by the start of the Fall cohort on August 3. Strong applicants are individuals who demonstrate motivation to fully capitalize on both employment and educational aspects of the program. For those who advance to the next stage, interviews will be held in mid-May. All applicants will be notified of selection, wait-list or non-selection by June 1. ​

VFP would not be possible without the generous investment of several donors, including The Nashville Predators, Smile Direct Club and The Robinson Family Foundation. With the help of these partners, there are no program costs for fellows. The $20,000 total investment per fellow is shared equally between employers and OSDTN, which allows each fellow to participate in the program and covers a monthly stipend, workplace wage and education costs.  

About Operation Stand Down Tennessee

With its roots in serving Nashville’s homeless Veterans, today Operation Stand Down Tennessee’s purpose is to help all Veterans in Middle Tennessee manage their personal, career, and financial needs while creating a life they find fulfilling. With offices in Nashville and Clarksville, we serve Veterans who may have significant needs like homelessness to those recently transitioning from military service who need career assistance or connection to a like-minded Veteran community. Every Veteran has a place here. www.osdtn.org

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