Amy Smith, assistant professor in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, was involved in many aspects of the programming of the recent MBAA International annual conference. Hosted this year in Chicago, Illinois under the theme “Cultural Consciousness in Business,” the MBAA International gathering is a multidisciplinary business conference which includes 12 different organizations coming together to create synergies in business and business education.
For the Midwest Academy of Legal Studies in Business, Smith presented “Matal v. Tam: Trademark Law Meets Free Speech”where she discussed the recent U.S. Supreme Court case which found the disparagement clause of the Lanham Act (trademark statute) unconstitutional. This decision unlocks many new issues in trademark law which she expounded on in her presentation.
Smith also presented at the Interactive Teaching Poster Exhibit hosted by MBAA International where she shared “Adding Flavor with Kahoot! It’s Flexible, Free and Fun for All,”which described how to utilize Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform, to enhance student engagement.
In addition to presenting a critical incident, entitled “Contracts No. 1: Judge for Yourself: An Exercise in Applying the Law to the Facts,”for the Society for Case Research, Smith also served as a discussant/editor for the presentation of two other critical incidents.
This past semester, students in associate professor of art and design James Pierce’s Narrative and Advocacy class found a new way to incorporate Belmont’s commitment to sustainability in the classroom, through raising awareness about E-Waste. A class project asked students to create a design for an electronic display of 55 broken tablets that created an E-Waste wall, while simultaneously highlighting Belmont’s Experiential Design major.
Inspiration for the student project came from Pierce’s desire to have projects in his Narrative and Advocacy class relate to a relevant and current issue such as sustainability. “I had been exploring the idea of E-Waste for a few years when a joke about reusing old devices to make one large screen made we wonder if it could actually be done,” said Pierce.
After proving his idea would be possible, Pierce integrated the project into his course, involving students throughout. “The students were involved in most aspects of the project in some way, with the goal of giving them a sense of ownership of the project,” Pierce added. “I believe outcomes are better and more beneficial to the student when they are more involved throughout all aspects of the project.”
Pierce and the E-Waste wall.
Pierce noted that E-Waste makes up two percent of waste in landfills in the U.S. but equals 70 percent of overall toxic waste. His goal for the project was to “create awareness of the E-Waste problem, while providing students a unique experience working on a project that you will not find elsewhere.”
“As designers, we should be conscious of what we produce and where it ends up once we are done with it,” said Pierce. “While a marketing email obviously produces less physical waste than a physical mailer such as a postcard, we often do not think about the waste created from our electronic devices.”
The E-Waste wall will continue to be available for viewing in the Leu Center for Visual Arts into the fall semester. Students in the first of the Experiential Design classes in the fall, Experiential Design Studio I, will continue to create designs for the screen and add more interactive components.
Established in the fall of 2018, Experiential Design is one of Belmont’s newest majors. The program was created to build on top of the existing Design Communications major and will be offering new courses beginning fall 2019. The new courses will primarily focus on digital and emerging technologies, such as web design, user interface and experiential design, augmented reality and more.
Experiential Design students will learn to be creative problem solvers and develop their skills to be capable of creating graphic designs for both print and digital mediums. While earning their Bachelor in Fine Arts degree, students will focus on human-centered design while working with class content focusing on social responsibility, designing for public spaces and recognizing and exploring commercial applications for experiential design.
“The goal for this major is to prepare students to create and design for future technology – some of which may not even exist today,” said Pierce. “Students graduating from our program will have experience integrating design and technology to work in a variety of fields, including advertising, app development, entertainment and much more.”
Approximately one-third of Belmont’s student body qualified for the University’s Spring 2019 Dean’s List, which was recently released.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “This achievement for the fall semester indicates that these students have placed a high priority on their work at Belmont and have invested time and energy in their studies. It is our strong belief that consistent application in this manner will reap great benefits, which will equip them for a lifetime of learning and growing.”
An online media tool, Merit is used by Belmont to publicize undergraduate students’ achievements both in and out of the classroom, over social media, in hometown newspapers and online. As examples, students can receive recognition when they are named to an academic honor society, study abroad, volunteer on a mission trip, perform in a major showcase or make the Dean’s List. Merit, which is a free service to students, also automatically creates a personal, verified online profile for each student, which can be used for internship or employment referrals.
Merit allows the University to organize major achievements online at Belmont.MeritPages.com where students can view and claim personalized stories, adding their own accomplishments to their page to in essence create an online resume. Students can even share these positive stories about their accomplishments with family and friends through social media networks.
Belmont alumna Jessi Vaughn was recently promoted to Manager of A&R/Digital at Warner/Chappell Music Nashville. Vaughn has been with Warner/Chappell Music since 2016 serving as Administrative Assistant, A&R Strategy Assistant and most recently as A&R Strategy Coordinator.
In her new role, Vaughn will be continuing to develop songwriters through marketing and branding and work closely with Warner/Chappell’s global digital team to create more opportunities for Nashville writers. Vaughn graduated from Belmont in 2016 with a degree in music business.
“It’s been wonderful to watch Jessi grow and connect with songwriters in a meaningful way,” said Ben Vaughn (’00), President & Chief Executive Officer at Warner/Chappell Nashville. “She has tremendous creative instincts, and is passionate about our songwriters’ long-term development. We look forward to seeing her continue to progress in her career.”
“I am extremely grateful to Ben and the entire Warner/Chappell Nashville team for helping me explore my passion over the past three years,” said Jessi Vaughn. “They’ve shown great confidence in me as I’ve learned how to navigate the ever-changing creative and digital space. I’m excited to continue to build new relationships, learn new strategies, and create opportunities that champion our incredible songwriters.”
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines has been selected by YP Nashville as a finalist for the 2019 Nashville Emerging Leader Award in Education.
YP
Nashville is a partnership between the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and
more than 40 young professional organizations working to engage,
connect and empower young professionals to actively shape the future
of the Nashville region. The NELAs are YP Nashville’s signature event,
hosted annually to recognize outstanding young professionals in the Middle
Tennessee region for significant accomplishments in their careers and
substantial contributions to our community. NELA finalists are selected
by a panel of expert judges across 15 industries. NELA winners will be
announced during the 13th annual NELA Ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019.
The Nashville Children’s Choir (NCC) recently presented its 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Nashville First Baptist Church. The NCC program is a key part of the Belmont University School of Music’s Belmont Academy.
The concert featured four levels of choirs singing songs from various genres and climaxed with the premiere of a work commissioned to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Madeline Bridges and her 29 years of leadership of the Nashville Children’s Choir Program. The commissioned work, “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing,” was written by local composer Vicki Wright.
Bridges, retiring NCC program director, is professor of music education in the Belmont School of Music. During her time at Belmont she has served as the School of Music’s director of graduate studies and associate dean. She also is a key leader for the Tennessee Arts Academy, a nationally recognized week-long summer professional development academy for K-12 teachers of music, theatre and visual arts. Bridges has been invited to present workshops and lead choral festivals for young singers throughout the United States.
Belmont University College of Law posted its highest ever overall employment rate – an impressive 96 percent for the Class of 2018. This rate bests the most recent national average, as compiled by the American Bar Association (ABA), which shows an overall employment rate of 86 percent for the Class of 2018.
“These
employment numbers confirm the confidence that employers have in the quality
and character of our graduates,” said College of
Law Dean Alberto Gonzales.
Of the Class of 2018 Belmont Law graduates who are employed,
95 percent are employed in bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions.
Emmie Futrell
Emmie Futrell, a 2018 graduate who is now an associate at Ortale Kelley, said, “The individualized coaching that I received through Moot Court and my professors’ determined dedication to my legal education not only gave me the skills I needed to feel confident and prepared to seamlessly begin arguing motions and conducting bench trials, but also gave me the confidence I needed to patiently and earnestly attain my dream job. Even in just a few months of practice, I have been fortunate to achieve many of the goals I set for myself while in law school, and for that, I can’t thank Belmont enough!”
Of employed graduates, 63% are working at a law firm, 14.5% are working in business or industry, 18.5% are working in government or judicial clerkships, and 4% are working in public interest law.
Many of the graduates are choosing to remain in state with 89% (67 students) finding employment in Tennessee. In addition, two are employed in Virginia, and one student from the Class of 2018 is employed in each of the following locations: California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina and Texas.
While the Class of 2018 has set a high bar, members of the Class of 2019 are also finding that Belmont Law prepared them to succeed as practice-ready attorneys upon graduation.
Allyson Lynch, who will soon begin a clerkship with Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia Clark, added, “As I look to my future, I am so grateful for all I have gained from my time at Belmont Law. Not only have I learned substantive law and the theories behind it, but I have gained invaluable practical experience that gives me a stronger sense of confidence as I begin my career. This experience, coupled with the passion to serve and drive to achieve found in every student, is what I believe continues to differentiate Belmont Law students in the classroom and in the legal community.”
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Education Dr. Danielle Garrett recently hosted 37 fourth-grade students from Donelson Christian Academy (DCA) for the second annual DCA chemistry field trip to Belmont.
This year’s field trip focused on light and color. Students learned how scattering light can affect the colors we see. They also saw how mixing blue, green and red light produces white light and how prisms separate white light into the colors of the visible spectrum. Students made their own color wheel and learned about the role electrons play in neon signs. Observing the impact of various colored film squares placed over a glow-in-the-dark pad as it was charging, students were introduced to ideas behind the photoelectric effect. Students also performed a hands-on lab activity, exploring the wavelength of LEDs using spectroscopes. The culminating event for the day was a flame test demonstration.
Students from Ellen Deathridge, Tabitha Ingram and Natalie Brown’s classes were in attendance. Garrett has worked with Deathridge for five years visiting each semester to teach a hands-on science lesson to the fourth-graders. The annual field trips to Belmont are a part of Garrett’s work with the American Chemical Society Science Coaches program. These kinds of hands-on science events create unforgettable experiences for students. “Our fourth-graders had wonderful things to say on the bus,” Deathridge said.
“The field trips have been such an amazing experience for the students, fourth-grade teachers and me, that Mrs. Deathridge and I have already decided to hold a field trip again next year and have started discussing a new theme – acid-base chemistry and gases,” Garrett said. “I have had the privilege of working with Mrs. Deathridge, an awesome science teacher who loves what she does, and her students for the past five years. I look forward to continuing to be a part of fostering an interest in both science and the desire to question for her students.”
The Radkes, a family of two Belmont alumni and their children, are gearing up for their next big adventure, a TV show on USA Network. The show will focus on the daily lives of this “big, loud, Southern family” in their small town of Lufkin, Texas.
Mom Melissa Radke became an internet sensation when she started posting entertaining videos on her public Facebook page, eventually getting her millions of views. After posting a viral video that served as the inspiration, Radke published her first book, titled “Eat Cake Be Brave.” The success of the book allowed her to go on a national book tour to promote the book’s message of encouraging people to be bold and brave in their lives.
With the launch of their show coming in June, the Radke family is excited to take on this new chapter. “How many families get a chance to take this adventure?,” said Radke. “And that’s what we see it as, an ‘adventure.’ Adventures don’t last forever, but they sure are a lot of fun while you’re on them.”
Known for her comedic side, Radke hopes that viewers will find the show entertaining and funny, but also hopes they will see a real family and be able to relate to them.
“At the onset, I was hoping people would think we were funny. But as time went on my feelings changed,” said Radke. “Suddenly I wanted moms, dads, teenagers, family units…to feel normal. I wanted them to watch my little family fight and make up and mess up and ask forgiveness and scream and push and try again, and I wanted it to make them feel much less alone. I’m hoping they relate to us. I’m hoping they mess up like us and love hard like us, because no one wants to feel alone; everyone wants to feel like even if we’re getting it all wrong – at least we’re getting it all wrong, together!”
Radke and her husband David are both Belmont alumni from the ’90s. At Belmont, Melissa was a commercial music vocal performance major who was involved in the group Jazzmin and Commercial Showcase her senior year. David received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Belmont and worked for more than a decade in entertainment law and artist management. The couple lived in Nashville for several years before moving to Lufkin.
“The Radkes” airs June 4 on USA Network, directly following the Nashville-based show “Chrisley Knows Best.” Following every episode Melissa will be doing an after the show episode on her podcast “Ordinary People Ordinary Things.”
Belmont
University alumna Ali Humbrecht was recently awarded a 2019-20 Fulbright
English Teaching Assistantship Grant to Germany from the German-American
Fulbright Commission. Humbrecht will reside in Brandenburg from September 2019
thru June 2020, where she will be placed alongside
local English teachers to educate German students on the English language and
U.S. culture. A December 2018 Honors program graduate with a major in Germany
and a minor in political science, Humbrecht will be returning to a country she
has previously visited three times, including during summer and semester-long Study
Abroad experiences in Berlin.
“In
the future, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in cross-cultural studies with a
German focus,” Humbrecht said. “Being an ETA in Germany will not only allow me
to gain insider knowledge but will also provide me with first-hand experience
in teaching. This authentic and long-term exposure to German culture will
better prepare me for my future education in cross-cultural studies in graduate
school and for a future career as a university professor which brings together
research and teaching.”
In
addition, Humbrecht anticipates her previous experiences—including as a curator
of tours for Nashville’s Metro Historical Commission, extensive research into
punk rock and training as a pastry chef for Nashville’s acclaimed Grilled
Cheeserie—will help her provide her students with unique perspectives on
American life. “As an English Teaching Assistant, I will have the opportunity
to expose others to my culture. I will have the ability to point out seemingly
unimportant differences between our two nations, clarify and breakdown
stereotypes about the United States and give youth a robust understanding of a
culture different than theirs. Of course, the learning will be reciprocated.”
Humbrecht
also looks forward to digging deeper into the research she began with her
senior Honors thesis at Belmont, Degenerates Without
Borders: Punk Subculture in East and West Germany, 1979-89.
But she also expects the experience to expand every aspect of her life. “By returning to Germany as a Fulbright ETA, I will be able
to learn more about how the Bildungsystem
works and learn how to make traditional Spätzle.
I will be able to understand the cultural implications of Döner
Kebab and Anselm Kiefer… This opportunity will expand and
solidify my understanding of the German culture, preparing me for my future
education in graduate school as a student of cross-cultural studies with a
German focus, for a career in the field of German studies and for a life of
cultural awareness and respect.”
Last
year alumna
Khadija Ali was awarded a similar
Fulbright grant to teach in Germany. She, along with Belmont Associate
Professor of German Dr. Regine Schwarzmeier, were significant inspirations for
Humbrecht on her path to this grant. “They both supported me in ways I cannot
even describe. From being my cheerleaders to being my life coaches, both of
these people guided me towards Fulbright, worked with me on the application and
bettered me as a person and an academic.”
The
Fulbright U.S. Student Program is an international exchange program sponsored
by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign
Scholarship Board that provides competitive grants to graduating seniors and
graduate students to serve as cultural ambassadors of the United States abroad.
