Belmont Philosophy students presented papers at the Pacific University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference held in Forest Grove, Oregon, April 5-6. Emily Hunt presented her work “To Revolt Against the Nothingness.” Charlie McDonald read “The They Self: A Phenomenological Description of Inauthenticity in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.” And Kevin Kozik presented “On the Importance of Embodiment—or, Why the Experience Machine is Suicide.”
Overall, Lovvorn Participate in Writing Symposium
Drs. Joel Overall and Jason Lovvorn, faculty members in Belmont’s English Department, participated in the Peck Research on Writing Symposium, held at Middle Tennessee State University on April 5. The symposium featured Dr. Laura Micciche, professor of Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Cincinnati, who presented her new research study focused on the mundane realities of writing instruction. Drs. Overall and Lovvorn participated in a subsequent workshop exploring writing partnerships alongside the ordinary conditions of writing and teaching—elements that both help and hinder those who regularly engage these activities.
Alumna to Compete for Miss USA Title
Alumna Savana Hodge, Miss Tennessee USA, will compete for the title of Miss USA live on FOX on Thurs, May 2 at 7 p.m. Central.
A Tennessee native, Hodge graduated from Belmont in 2016, earning her Bachelor of Arts while triple majoring in international business, marketing and Spanish. She began her career working in civil engineering for a global engineering design firm and now interfaces with engineering departments at various universities. She is an avid beekeeper and grew up fly fishing, working on her family’s farm and putting her grandfather’s antique fire engine back together.
Hodge cares deeply about working to save the lives of childhood cancer patients as her 3-year-old cousin was recently diagnosed with a rare and fatal pediatric brain cancer. Hodge is a volunteer at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and an ambassador for Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Belmont Honors Scholarship and Achievements of Students and Faculty
The Belmont University Scholarship and Awards Day is a special day honoring faculty and students who have achieved success in their educational endeavors. The 2019 ceremony, held on April 10, began with welcoming remarks from Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher. After speaking to the importance of the day and thanking family members for attending, Provost Dr. Thomas Burns took over and honored students who made the dean’s list for fall 2018 and retired faculty.
Before the awards were presented, Dr. Vaughn May, professor of political science and recipient of the 2017-2018 Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, gave the Honors Address speaking to the intellectual curiosity of students at Belmont. He also commented on the community fostered by faculty, staff and students at Belmont. “We are all blessed to be a part of this community,” said May.
The highly anticipated John Williams Heart of Belmont Award is awarded each year to a student who demonstrates a variety of Belmont’s values and commitment to service. The award looks specifically at a student who excels in problem solving abilities, advocacy for change that enhances lives of the people in the community and understanding the needs of the community while building relationships with them. This years Heart of Belmont Award was given to Marcie Bulla, a senior biology major. Bulla founded the organization Belmont Medical Brigades that goes on mission trips to serve communities around the world. Nominating faculty said that Bulla “displays a heart of service” and that she “truly thrives when she is serving others.”
Other anticipated awards include those honoring Belmont faculty for their commitment to the university, its mission and their students. The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award recognizes a faculty member who represents the vision of the university and is determined on the basis of superior teaching in the classroom. The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award for 2018-2019 was awarded to Dr. Jimmy Davis, professor of communication studies. Davis has served Belmont since 1987 in a variety of capacities, including as professor for more than 15 years. Students attest that Davis and his classes are “always entertaining and challenging” while showing that he is an “extraordinarily dedicated teacher… who challenges his students.”
The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award honors a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to their students lives, both inside and outside of the classroom. The recipient of this year’s award was Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton, professor of English. Hodges Hamilton is involved not only on Belmont’s campus but also in the Nashville community and regularly encourages her students to get involved alongside her. Students praise Hodges Hamilton as a professor saying she “takes pride in getting to know each of her students” and that “she embodies the phrase: ‘When you learn, teach. When you get, give.'”
Other awards presented include:
The Williams-Murray First Year Writing Award: Anna Thompson and Mary Frances White.
The Alfred Leland Crabb Award, Creative: Sydney Queen.
The Alfred Leland Crabb Award, Research/Analytical: Sophie Lasher.
The Stacy Awalt Writing Award: Peyton Harrington.
The Annette Sisson First Year Seminar Award: Caitlyn Kimiko Ferral.
The Lumos Travel Award: Christopher Hansen, traveling to Haiti, Rebekah McKerley, traveling to Uganda, Jessica Molloy, traveling to the Dominican Republic, Kathryn Wurm, traveling to India, Jordan Dunn, traveling to Nepal.
The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award, Undergraduate: LeAndrea Wallace.
The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award, Graduate: Caleb Darensbourg.
The University Hale Leadership Award, First Year: Zachary William Kurtz, history major.
The University Hale Leadership Award, Second Year: Haleema Shamsuddin, Honors, biochemistry and molecular biology major.
The University Hale Leadership Award, Third Year: Madalyn Nicole Vanarthos, music therapy major.
The University Hale Leadership Award, Fourth Year: Mary Barber, Presidential Scholar, chemistry major.
The Christian Scholarship Award: Dr. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, Director of the Honors Program and professor of English.
The Leadership in Christian Service Award: Dr. Mona Ivey-Soto, assistant professor of education.
The Scholarship Award: Dr. Mark Schenkel, professor of entrepreneurship.
Visit the Belmont photo gallery to view more images from today’s event.
Curb College Presents Mulloy Award of Excellence to Dr. Bob Fisher
Dr. Bob Fisher, president of Belmont University, was announced last weekend as this year’s recipient of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence, and the presentation was made at the beginning of the Best of the Best showcase held on Be Belmont Day.
Doug Howard, dean of Belmont’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, said, “With the combined leadership and commitment of Dr. Fisher, the University Trustees and Senior Leaders, the Curb College has grown into one of the most respected music business and entertainment colleges in the nation. The Mulloy Award is the highest award given by the Curb College and serves as a sincere and heartfelt way of saying thank you from every Curb student and graduate, and from every faculty and staff member.”
The Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence is a Curb College tradition that preserves and honors the memory of Bob Mulloy, the founder of the music business and entertainment programs in the Curb College. The Mulloy Award seeks to highlight and honor an individual or an organization who has had an important impact on the entertainment industry, and in addition, has displayed notable service to Belmont University and to Nashville.
Past honorees include legendary music publisher Donna Hilley, Grammy award winning artist and Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Curb Records/Publishing owner Mike Curb, Sony/ATV Music Publishing president Troy Tomlinson, Grammy winning writer/producer Gordon Kennedy, Grammy and Academy of Country Music award winning engineer/producer Chuck Ainlay and organizations that include The International Entertainment Buyer’s Association, Clair Global and Bandit Lights.
DNP Students Meet with Tennessee Senator
Doctor of Nursing Practice students Rebecca Carden and Jennifer Scanlon attended the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Student Policy Summit March 23-25. The three-day conference held in Washington, D.C. immerses students in didactic program sessions focused on the federal policy process and nursing’s role in professional advocacy. On Monday, students joined a delegation of nursing deans and directors from Tennessee, led by Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner, to visit the senate office staff of both Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Marsha Blackburn. Senator Alexander was able to join the group to discuss the importance of funding for nursing education and workforce initiatives.
Robinson, Williams Present at Tennessee Physical Therapy Association Meeting
Dr. Kevin Robinson and Dr. Christi Williams, faculty in the School of Physical Therapy, presented a continuing education course for physical therapists throughout the state at the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association’s (TPTA) Spring Meeting. The TPTA meeting was held at the Millennium Maxwell House in Nashville this past weekend. The course taught by Robinson and Williams was entitled, “Are You Over or Underestimating Your Patient’s Strengths? New Technology for Today’s PT’s.”
Mathematics Students, Faculty Present At Mathematical Association of America Southeastern Meeting
Students and faculty members of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department presented at the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Southeastern Section’s annual meeting at Lee University March 7-9.
Belmont’s Math Jeopardy Team was composed of mathematics and computer science students Caroline Conner, Christopher Guardo, Davis Deaton and Jordan Hoffman. The team won the first preliminary round and the wild card spot from the second preliminary round, winning second place overall in the Jeopardy tournament.
Hoffman presented “Predicting Lung Cancer Death Rates by Country through Demographic Variables,” a presentation based on work conducted in Dr. Danny Biles’ class.
Biles and psychology major and statistics minor Mira Grcevich presented a poster titled “Statistical Models for Predicting Single-Game Win-Expectation for NHL Teams.”
Deaton received the Patterson prize for undergraduate research presentation in his section for his presentation “Unstacking Tortoise Shells with Math: Factoring Multivariate Polynomials in the Tropical Semiring.” The presentation was based on research conducted with Jordan Sawdy, co-author and mathematics student and Dr. Brad Schleben.
Mathematics faculty members Drs. Danny Biles, Sarah Ann Fleming, Ryan Fox, Robin Lovgren, Mike Pinter and Catherine Starnes also attended the conference.
Fleming organized and presented in the “Graduate Student Career Development Workshop,” Fox presented “Pedagogical Pitfalls and Promises of a QLR Project,” Lovgren presented “Steps in Teaching Students to use Excel for Solving Quantitative Problems,” Pinter presented “Using Historical Timeline Exercises in a Mathematics Course” and Starnes presented “Activity Based Learning for Statistics.”
Student’s Short Film Wins at IMDb Independent Short Awards
Senior motion pictures major Madison Bishop is already experiencing success in the entertainment world. Having recently completed her senior capstone film, a requirement for all motion pictures (MOT) majors, Bishop decided to enter her film into festivals and contests to see how it could do. She recently found out her film won three awards at IMDb’s Independent Shorts Awards for March 2019.
Bishop’s senior capstone short film was based on her personal experiences going to a high school with strict dress codes. The film, titled “In God’s Image,” relates to those experiences and focuses on one girl’s experience at a strict academy. The main character struggles with the sexism she finds in dress codes and works with her peers to take a stand.
The road to creating the final product of “In God’s Image” began over a year ago. Throughout much of her motion pictures curriculum, Bishop worked on gaining the skills to make her film and then eventually focused on bringing it to life. Through the courses Production 1 and 2 and Senior Capstone, students write and produce their films, starting at 5-7 minutes and then eventually finishing at 10-15 minutes.
Thinking about creating the film and the work that went into it, Bishop reminded herself that before coming to Belmont she had no idea the amount of work that actually went in to creating a film. “Many people, including myself before college, don’t seem to understand the amount of time and work that goes into filming a story, no matter how short,” Bishop said. “Production 1 and 2 offered a great insight into the film making process so that by Capstone I had a much clearer idea of how to write a compelling story and manage a crew of peers on and off set.”
One of the best parts of creating her senior capstone film, for Bishop, was the people who helped make it happen. “In God’s Image” came together with a team of 19 Belmont motion pictures students working together. “We all worked outside of class to plan our shoot, find actors, track down locations and take four of our weekends to film the short,” Bishop said. “This film would still be a script without their help.”
Bishop’s short film won three separate awards at the IMDb Independent Short Awards. It won Gold in both the Best Student Short and Best Women Short categories and also won Bronze in Best Cinematography.
“I think Best Student Film is exciting, but I’m even more excited that my capstone beat out actual short films by seasoned professionals in multiple categories,” Bishop said about her excitement at her wins. “We’ve advanced onto their yearly competition, and we’re looking forward to seeing what happens!”
Teaching Center Celebrates 25 Years
Established in 1994, the Belmont University Teaching Center has been working hard to provide services faculty for 25 years. Aimed at supporting faculty in their learning about the art of teaching, the Center has resources and opportunities for continuing professional development.
The beginning of the Teaching Center starts with the late Dr. Mike Awalt, professor of philosophy, who led the discussions and planning surrounding its origin. After two years of conversations, Belmont received a grant for funds to officially start the Teaching Center, and Awalt was named its founding director. The goal at its founding was for the center to encourage and support faculty on Belmont’s campus in their efforts towards continuing work on the art and craft of teaching. This goal is something the Center has continued to work towards for the last 25 years.
Having gone through several location changes as the University grows, the Teaching Center has also gone through internal changes that have helped it adapt to the ever growing campus.
As Belmont has grown significantly in population in the last 25 years, the Center has also adapted to serve more faculty, and in new programs.
As new majors and schools were introduced, the Teaching Center has worked to adapt to serve all faculty at Belmont. The center now serves more than 400 full-time faculty members, in addition to serving adjunct professors and other academic support staff. An assistant director position was added, and the role of director was changed to have more of a permanent status.
Among the Teaching Center’s purposes is support of full-time faculty members during their first year at Belmont. The center assists with the development and implementation of an August orientation for them and continues support with seminars throughout their first year. In addition to support for first-year full-time faculty, the Teaching Center organizes workshops and further professional development opportunities for all faculty members, often including notable guest facilitators. Other resources provided for faculty include grants to participate in conferences related to teaching, lunch discussion groups, reading groups and individual teaching consultations.
Through its 25 years the Teaching Center has had six directors, most serving in the role for three years. Current director, Dr. Mike Pinter, professor of mathematics, has been involved with the center since its early days.
“I was immediately drawn to what was offered and the ongoing conversation about teaching and learning that the Teaching Center engendered,” said Pinter. “After serving as an associate dean, I realized that I enjoyed working directly with faculty members in addition to teaching my students. When the opportunity to serve as Teaching Center director came my way in 2003, the timing was good for me to work directly with faculty in that role.”
Returning as director in 2012, Pinter has been able to develop the Teaching Center and work towards carrying on current programs as well as look for more opportunities in the future to help faculty develop teaching and learning ideas. An important ongoing goal of the Center is “attending carefully and intentionally to inclusion and diversity” in their efforts for faculty and also the students they serve.
Looking back at his involvement with the Teaching Center, Pinter feels the center has impacted him as an educator and helped him focus on his own teaching.
“In my early career, the Teaching Center was instrumental in expanding my perspective on and understanding of teaching,” Pinter said. “Through Teaching Center activities, I gained a strong community of fellow teachers who were committed to constant improvement in their work with students.”
From its earlier days to its current ones 25 years later, the Teaching Center is committed to making Belmont a better place, for both faculty and the students they teach. Pinter is honored to be a part of the Teaching Center and how it has given him “the privilege to see the incredible commitment to innovative teaching demonstrated on a regular basis by faculty from across campus.”
