On Sept. 22, Belmont Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) students volunteered at the annual Sara Walker Run to honor the life of 2003 Belmont DPT alumna Sara Pigg Walker. The Sara Walker Run is a fundraising event to raise money for various missions supported through the Sara Walker Foundation that are intended to help spread Walker’s message of hope to others through Jesus Christ.
This year marked the 10th Sara Walker Run. The first Run occurred in April 2011 when Walker’s ‘Belmont PT family’ sought to find a way to raise funds for medical expenses to help her and her family when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Due to its huge success, and in an effort to continue to honor her, the annual Sara Walker Run continues today and serves as the Sara Walker Foundation’s main fundraising event.
Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Christi Williams shares Walker’s story with all incoming Belmont DPT students, encouraging them to help spread Walker’s message to others by participating in the event and/or volunteering to help with the Kids for Kids Fun Run, which is organized and run by Belmont DPT students.
There were 83 Belmont DPT students in attendance this year, which sets a record for the program. Third-year student, Lauren Addison, served as the student leader and event coordinator for the student volunteers who designed various fun activities for the kids to participate in during the run. The kids were divided into three age groups and were given a wrist band that coordinated with their teammates. Each team was led by a group of Belmont DPT students while the other students created obstacles involving pool noodles, silly string, water balloons and more. Following the race, Walker’s father Jody (Papa) Pigg, with the help of student volunteers, led the kids in an interactive and fun worship service.
To learn more about Walker’s story and the mission of the Sara Walker Foundation, click here. You can also purchase a copy of Walker’s book, The Light Shines Through – A Story of Hope in the Midst of Suffering, which can be found on Amazon. All proceeds from the book go to Walker’s two children for their college fund.
Dr. Christian Williams, director of Belmont’s public health program, was chosen as chair for the Program Committee and chair of the Public Health Academics Section for the Tennessee Public Health Association (TPHA), one of the nation’s largest affiliates of the American Public Health Association (APHA).
Two Belmont public health majors were also appointed to leadership positions by their peers. Jaylen Palmer was selected as co-chair of the Student Section and Lillian Adamson was chosen as the Middle Tennessee representative for the Student Section.
TPHA is the state’s official professional organization for those engaged or interested in public health and is endorsed by the administration of the Tennessee Department of Health. Through TPHA, professionals and students who represent diverse service areas have opportunities to meet and share ideas in an effort to maintain high standards of quality in all aspects of public health.
Freshman Katie Flemming, who is majoring in worship leadership with a concentration in music, signed a music management and brand development agreement with Damien Wong-Ken, who has 20+ years of experience working with some of Christian music’s top artists from labels such as Capitol Music Group, Warner Records, Gotee Records, Integrity Music and Provident Music Group.
Flemming is no stranger to the music industry – recording music and shooting videos in L.A., New York and Nashville for almost a decade. But since enrolling at Belmont, she has picked up the pace to gain more experience and really focus on developing her sound and brand.
Wong-Ken said,“Nashville’s an amazing place, and talent is everywhere you turn. Sometimes you meet someone, and you just click… Katie is obviously really talented, but there is so much more to her story than her voice. We’re excited to take the steps in letting her story, as it also unfolds, be told through her music.”
Dean of Belmont’s College of Pharmacy Dr. David Gregory
joined 120 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) members on
Capitol Hill on September 11 for a direct advocacy push. The group personally
urged their congressional representatives to support legislation that helps
pharmacists meet critical patient care needs.
This year’s Legislative Day visits — 159 in all — emphasized
the importance of face-to-face interactions with Congress in shaping policies
that affect the pharmacy profession.
“It was an honor to work with our congressional
representatives on key issues involving pharmacy and pharmacy education.” Said Gregory.
“Belmont College of Pharmacy strives to be a leader in the field and working
with our government officials and professional organizations is part of the
process.”
Accompanying Gregory, other Legislative Day delegation
members from Tennessee included Casey White from Cookeville Regional Medical
Center, Micah Cost from the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, Cyrine Haidar from
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Executive Director of Pharmacy
Operations at Vanderbilt University Hospital and Adult Clinics Mark Sullivan.
Pharmacy reps with Senator Marsha Blackburn
ASHP President Kathleen Pawlicki said during a kickoff
meeting before the group headed to the Hill, “By putting a human face to the
issues, you help your legislators and their aides gain a better understanding
and a deeper appreciation for how the policies that they are considering really
impact our patients and the organizations that we all work in.”
The group visited the offices of Sens. Lamar Alexander and
Marsha Blackburn and Reps. Jim Cooper, Mark E. Green, David Kustoff and John
Rose. The team discussed current challenges and the key issues of rising drug
costs, patient access to pharmacy services, drug shortages and treatment of
opioid addiction.
Alumna Tiffany Roberts, an occupational therapist with Baptist Health System Kentucky and Indiana, has been named Occupational Therapist of the Year by the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association (KOTA).
Roberts is the KOTA Western District co-chair, serving the Paducah area.
Roberts has worked at Baptist Health Rehabilitation since 2016, following her graduation from Belmont with a master’s degree in occupational therapy.
She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist through the Brain Injury Association of America, and recently began helping with a new Spinal Cord Injury support group.
Instructor of Journalism/Cinema, Television, & Media Jennifer Duck was part of the Anderson Cooper 360/CNN Special Report team that won an Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis Emmy Sept. 24 for the “Finding Hope: Battling America’s Suicide Crisis” special that aired last year.
Duck, who served as editorial producer for Anderson Cooper 360 for six years, is a longtime Belmont adjunct who recently joined the faculty full time. She said of the Emmy, “It’s very bittersweet given the topic, but I do feel it’s one of the most important stories I’ve produced in my career.”
Duck added that throughout the hour-long special, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number and resources were highlighted on screen, online and on CNN social media accounts. As a result, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline reported a 67 percent increase in call volume during the program as individuals reached out to learn how to get help for themselves or for friends and loved ones who were suffering.
“We created this special because suicide is a hidden health crisis. Suicide rates have increased 25% over the last two decades. The crisis isn’t talked about enough because it’s such a hard conversation,” Duck said. “Our goal was a national call to action. We partnered with experts, survivors and family members of those lost to amplify the message that the mental illnesses behind suicide deserve treatment from professionals, just as we would treat other illnesses like heart disease or diabetes. We felt it was about time America started seeking medical help and breaking the stigma and shame surrounding the topic.”
Duck said the special also shows
the importance of journalism working in tandem with cinema, TV and media. “One
of the many things that drew me to Belmont is the collaboration between
departments. The power of combining great storytelling, writing, filming and
editing along with an understanding of the ethics of journalism is more vital
today than ever before.”
The book offers insight to a summer program that has produced a diverse new generation of women leaders and discusses a wide range of topics including mathematics research, teaching, outreach and career paths.
Guinn joined the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Belmont in the fall of 2013 and was the featured mathematician on the Black History Month Honorees Mathematically Gifted and Black page in 2018 posted on The Network of Minorities in Mathematical Sciences website.
Belmont University students
creating business plans, forming the perfect pitches and spending hours of hard
work to become entrepreneurs will continue getting the support they deserve
thanks to an endowed fund worth $2 million, made possible by a pledge from
Thomas F. Cone, Sr. Belmont’s Undergrad Entrepreneurship Program was ranked as
a Top 25 Program for 2019 by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine.
In honor of
his recent gift, the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Jack C. Massey College
of Business will be named the Thomas F. Cone, Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “We are so grateful to the Cone
family for their longtime support of Belmont and especially for this recent
gift. Not only will our students benefit from the resources this gift will
provide, but they will also have a tremendous entrepreneurial example to look
up to. Mr. Cone’s gift makes it possible to further develop and excel in
supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of Belmont, and I look forward to what we
can accomplish in the future thanks to his generous support.”
“My hope is that my gift will provide the cornerstone of the Center for
Entrepreneurship, allowing students to have a place to hone their skills and
make their dreams a reality,” Cone said. “The Belmont community is raised
anytime a new center or program adds to the depth of the curriculum. A young
person’s dreams and ideas need a place to grow and become realities. I know
Belmont’s Entrepreneurship Center is that place.”
The
endowment will support co-curricular programs of the Thomas F. Cone, Sr. Center
for Entrepreneurship, including, but not limited to: a Runway Loan Program, the
annual Entrepreneurship Village and an annual Entrepreneur in Residence. Other potential areas of
support include inspirational lecture series, guiding students
who have already launched a venture through the semester-long business Accelerator, leading workshops and clinics in co-working spaces like the Hatchery, and offering two business plan competitions per year where students
receive feedback and cash prizes to support their ventures.
Cone with Suzanna Stapler
Suzanna Stapler, 2018 alumna and founder and CIO of Squillustrate, spoke during the announcement reception about the power of the resources provided. “I knew I could always go to the Center for help, and the resources were there for all students to pursue what they’re meant to do,” she said. “My story is one of hundreds who have been equipped to achieve our goals thanks to the Center. I can’t wait to see how the next generation will get to experience this thanks to your generosity and reach to even greater heights.”
As announced
with the university’s We Believe Campaign unveiling, Belmont is partnering with its supporters to leverage
their investments in the institution’s future. The University will match
endowment contributions to select institutional priorities, doubling the impact
of each donor’s commitment. The Cone gift is being matched by Belmont to create
an endowed fund to empower student entrepreneurs and promote a spirit of
entrepreneurship by providing resources and opportunities to create innovative,
ethical and globally-minded businesses.
Elizabeth Gortmaker speaks at Endowment announcement
Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Elizabeth Gortmaker said the
Center has grown tremendously over the last 15 years. “The entrepreneurship
program serves hundreds of students on campus and alumni who have started businesses
all around the world,” she said. “The program also has two retail stores on campus
that are completely student-run and employ 30 students who run every aspect of
the business to truly learn what it looks like to be an entrepreneur.”
“Our future is in the hands of our youth,” said Cone. “Belmont University
has a long-standing reputation of excellence, and I believe the Belmont
Entrepreneurship Center will be a leader in the entrepreneurship business
community.”
Thomas F.
Cone, Sr. was chairman and president of Cone Oil Company Inc. and founder of
Cone Solvents Inc., Tennessee Adhesives Co. and B&C Aviation. He graduated
from Vanderbilt University in 1960 and received his J.D. degree from the
Nashville School of Law in 1971. He was elected to the Vanderbilt Board of
Trust as alumni trustee in 1994 and served for two years.
Gov. Ned McWherter
appointed Cone to the board of directors of the Tennessee-European Economic
Alliance in 1989. He is a director of NationsBank and a trustee of Battle
Ground Academy. He has been a member of Meharry Medical Board of Trustees and
the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Governors. He also is former
chairman of the board of the Nashville School of Law.
Kyndal Inskeep, a Belmont alumna who majored in commercial voice, landed an early spot in the season premiere of NBC’s “The Voice.”
The singer also survived her first competitive match-up on this season on Oct. 21 when she sang a duet of “I Could Use a Love Song” by Maren Morris with James Violent. Celebrity Coach Gwen Stefani selected Inskeep as the winner of the battle.
For her audition, Inskeep performed “Never Been to Spain,” popularized by Three Dog Night in 1972, impressing Judges Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. However, Stefani used her “block button” to make sure Shelton did not have the chance to be her coach.
Inskeep decided to work with Stefani, who succeeds Adam Levine in the lineup of “Voice” coaches.
“The Voice” airs at 8 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC.
Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business is the named sponsor of The American Marketing Association (AMA) Nashville’s Thought Leaders Luncheon series.
The Thought
Leaders Luncheons are a series of six lunch events throughout the year to
provide opportunities for attendees to experience and learn professional
marketing at its finest, while networking with fellow marketers from the greater
Nashville area.
Massey’s
support will allow AMA Nashville to bring highly desired and much-anticipated
speakers, high-level strategic marketing content and an attractive venue to
become the premier marketing resource in Middle Tennessee.
Director of External Relations & Executive Learning Networks Jill Robinson said, “The Jack C. Massey College of Business is proud to sponsor the Nashville Chapter of the American Marketing Association. Like the AMA, the Massey College of Business supports a strong belief in and mission to developing leaders through ongoing and experiential education; as such, we are uniquely aligned to support the Nashville chapter as they create high quality educational experiences for their members.”
With the ever-accelerating pace of change in the marketplace, lifelong learning communities are an increasingly important network of support and education for executives in the Middle Tennessee marketing industry.
“We look forward to this new partnership and continuing the great work of the Nashville AMA Chapter for many years to come,” said Robinson.
The Nashville
chapter of the American Marketing Association is an important part of the
Nashville business community, offering valuable programs, networking events,
publication opportunities and benefits that help people connect, enable
professionals to develop their skills and increase the professionalism of the
industry in the community.
