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’s Corporate Challenge Team Participates in Winter Warm-Up 6K

Hope Buckner
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Belmont’s Corporate Challenge Team Participates in Winter Warm-Up 6K

The Belmont University Corporate Challenge Team placed 1st in the “A” Division at the 12 South Winter Warmup 6k footrace on December 1. The 10-member Belmont faculty team competed against some of Nashville’s largest employers including Nissan, Genesco, Regions Bank and Bridgestone-Firestone. The 12 South Neighborhood Association’s annual event began in 2012 with 12- and 6k races staged before the neighborhood festival on the first weekend in December. This year’s race attracted over 600 runners.

Left to right: Leigh Ann Bynum, Kendall Shultes, Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz (All College of Pharmacy)

The beneficiaries of proceeds from the event were Hands on Nashville and the Waverly Belmont Backpack Program. Hands on Nashville connects volunteers to critical issues facing the Middle Tennessee community such as hunger, homelessness and environmental issues. The Waverly Belmont Backpack Program offers a weekend supply of nutritious meals and snacks for students completely free of charge to needy community members.

The Belmont runners turned in some impressive times including Haskell Murray (22:10—5th place overall) and Kendall Shultes (27:45—3rd place overall).

Featured Image (left to right): Eric Tarr (CEMB), Tom Bagwell (CTCM), Andy Miller (Math and Computer Science), Jonathan Thorndike (Honors Program), Steve Guthrie (CTCM) and Haskell Murray (College of Business); not pictured: Tim Stewart (Service-Learning)

‘CMA Country Christmas’ Set to Air Dec. 10 on ABC

April Hefner
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‘CMA Country Christmas’ Set to Air Dec. 10 on ABC

The ninth-annual “CMA Country Christmas” will air Monday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m./ET (7 p.m./CT) on the ABC Television Network. The event was recorded live in September in the Curb Event Center on Belmont’s campus with a number of students enjoying the performances and working backstage on the production.

Iconic entertainer Reba McEntire, who returns as host for a second year, will also perform during the holiday music special. Joining Reba are legendary acts and country favorites including Tony Bennett, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Amy Grant, Diana Krall, Dustin Lynch, Martina McBride, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley, Michael W. Smith, Lindsey Stirling, The Isaacs and Brett Young, taking the stage for a night filled with Christmas classics and festive one-of-a-kind collaborations.

CMA partnered with Balsam Hill, beautifully realistic Christmas trees and décor, to decorate the “CMA Country Christmas” stage. “CMA Country Christmas” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director and Jon Macks is the writer.

But “CMA Country Christmas” isn’t the only place to see Belmont University students contributing their talents to the holiday season. A presentation of the 2017 “Christmas at Belmont” special performance, which featured world-renowned musician Sheryl Crow as guest artist and more than 700 students, faculty and staff musicians from the School of Music, will be re-broadcast on PBS on December 21 at 8 p.m. and on Christmas Day, December 25, at 11 p.m. Check local listing for additional broadcast times. 

About the Country Music Association
Founded in 1958 and celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2018, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,400 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a three-hour network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on the ABC Television Network.

Nursing Student Receives 2018 CASA Light of Hope Award

Staff Writer
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Nursing Student Receives 2018 CASA Light of Hope Award

Hailey Brooks, a junior nursing student at Belmont, recently received the 2018 CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) Light of Hope Award which honors those who have been “lights of hope” to children and youth in the community through advocacy and making a difference.

Brooks grew up in East Tennessee and entered foster care at the age of 15. She serves as a member of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth where she was appointed by Governor Bill Haslam.

Involved in other foster care advocacy positions for years, Brooks has served as a Youth Villages peer advocate and as part of the Department of Children’s Services Children’s Advisory Council. She is also a Jim Casey Fellow and the youngest thus far to be given the role.

Brooks is committed to spreading light on both the good and the bad areas of foster care and making positive changes in the system, particularly by increasing foster youth college attendance.

Belmont Alumnus Appears on NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’

Staff Writer
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Belmont Alumnus Appears on NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’

Raffeal Sears, a Belmont commercial voice performance alumnus, appeared on Chicago Fire on November 14.

In 1992, Sears began his career in acting in a Pizza Hut commercial promoting Big Brothers Big Sisters. He played the part of little brother to former Kansas City Chiefs Derron Cherry. Since the commercial, Sears knew acting was his calling.

For the past 25 years, his career has included parts in several theatre productions and voice overs. He went on to earn his MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana Campaign through the Professional Acting Training Program.

Belmont Students Bring Musical Talents to Vanderbilt Marching Band

Staff Writer
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Belmont Students Bring Musical Talents to Vanderbilt Marching Band

Focused on giving students as many opportunities as possible, Belmont University has countless partnerships with different groups and organizations around Nashville. For 38 Belmont students, these unique opportunities mean marching alongside students who attend school just across Wedgewood Ave. as they suit up as members of the Vanderbilt University Marching Band.

Standing at 125 people strong, the band is made up of a significant number of students who do not call Vanderbilt home. In fact, 54 (or 42 percent) of the program’s participants attend Belmont, Lipscomb and Trevecca.

According to Vanderbilt’s student newspaper, the Vanderbilt Hustler, the band is a big part of boosting spirit and morale at football games throughout the fall. Called The Spirit of Gold, Belmont students who make up the band feel a sense of fellowship with the other students involved.

In a Vanderbilt Hustler article, Belmont audio engineering technology major Matthew Bligh said that joining the Vanderbilt band gave him a strong sense of community in Nashville. He also said that he thoroughly enjoys being in the band and plans to continue his involvement. Both Belmont and Vanderbilt students said that being in the marching band is about coming together and playing music and not about if you go to a different school.

“I love being a part of the band program,” Bligh said. “It’s definitely made college a lot more enjoyable.”

Students interested in joining the Vanderbilt marching band can visit their website to learn more here.

Fortune 500 Company CEO Gives Leadership Advice to Students

Staff Writer
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Fortune 500 Company CEO Gives Leadership Advice to Students

Dennis Cooke has gone through many different stages in his career, and some of them came as a surprise, even to him. Now the CEO of Ryder Systems, Inc. and President of Fleet Management Solutions, Cooke shared some personal tips for success with students. At a recent convocation event on Belmont University’s campus that was sponsored by the Student Center for Public Trust, he reflected on his path to success and what got he there.

Cooke, the father of a current Belmont student and a recent alumna, has worked in various leadership positions for large companies that have allowed him to develop his own concept of his four Cs of leadership. But before he shared his four Cs with students, Cooke encouraged them to “take the complex and make it simple, you need to be inquisitive and ask why.” He also stressed to students the importance of having mentors, especially informal ones like professors, that can help develop students through critical early years.

Cooke’s four Cs of leadership are customer focus, collaboration, change and courage. He related each of these to different functions within his position at Ryder and how the company is evolving. “You have to embrace change,” he said.

While all the elements of leadership are important to Cooke, he often went back to the theme of collaboration. He stressed several times to students the importance of being able to work together in a team well. “Business is a team sport,” he said before explaining how he feels energized after working with functional teams.

After graduating from Purdue University for undergraduate, Cooke surprised himself when he went back to school for graduate degrees. Obtaining two masters from Purdue and the University of Chicago, Cooke never anticipated going that route. “I love to learn, and I didn’t know I’d get a graduate degree,” Cooke said.

Cooke closed his time with students by saying, “Belmont University is a launch pad, you’ve learned to learn. Now take the skills you’ve learned, and apply them. You have got to be willing to take risks and learn from it.”

Afshin Molavi Encourages Students to See the World With a ‘Macro Horizon’

Staff Writer
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Afshin Molavi Encourages Students to See the World With a ‘Macro Horizon’

According to Afshin Molavi, “Wherever we are going, we are going there fast.” In a recent talk Molavi gave on Belmont University’s campus to students, he encouraged them to be aware of how fast the world is changing and know that “we are living in an age of acceleration.” Molavi, who is a senior research fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, spoke to students about his work in global economics, how he see’s the world changing and how important it is to be aware of the world around us.

Molavi works in geo-political risk and economics and focused on relating information he has learned to students while advising them on how to make business choices and navigate the growing world. He shared five key trends he sees in the world that will shape our society in the future. One trend is that 85 percent of the world lives outside of what is commonly considered the West or western world. The realization of this trend led Molavi to co-found the emerge85 Lab that focuses on the markets in under-served populations.

Another significant trend Molavi explained was that 1.5 million people per week are moving to urban areas. He related this to Nashville and Tennessee specifically by explaining how Nashville is responsible for half of the gross domestic product of the state. He emphasized to students the importance of being aware of these trends, and more, and the implications they can have on our world.

Afshin Molavi speaks with a studentSome advice Molavi had for students surrounded the Mike Tyson quote, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Molavi told students to “be resilient because punches will come no matter what you do. You have to be nimble in this world.”

Molavi also encouraged students to not get pigeonholed in whatever they are specializing in. “Try to have as macro of a horizon as you can, even if you specialize in something. Do the work, don’t fake it and be humble in what you don’t know.”

Molavi was brought to campus by the Center for International Business at Belmont University as a part of the International Executive Spotlight Series.

Faculty Members Attend, Present at 2018 Lilly Conference

Hope Buckner
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Faculty Members Attend, Present at 2018 Lilly Conference

Belmont University was, again, well-represented at the 2018 Lilly Conference on College Teaching held at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio earlier this month. Eight Belmont faculty participants from religion, media studies, biology, English, psychological science, sport science and the Teaching Center attended the event.

Faculty member attendees contributed four presentations for the Evidence-Based Learning and Teaching conference theme. Dr. Hyangsook Lee (media studies) provided a poster entitled “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Higher Education: Latest Developments in AI-Based Education and Their Implications for Teaching and Learning” during the interactive poster session. Her poster considered the latest research studies regarding the impact of AI on teaching and learning and associated implications for the traditional paradigm of teaching and learning.

Drs. Jason Lovvorn (English) and Sue Trout (English) proposed a connection between civility in the college classroom and the typical behaviors people bring to situations in their presentation entitled “Avoiding Genre Trouble: Best Practices to Promote Civility in College Classrooms. ” Their session offered participants novel insights for promoting civility in their own classrooms. Dr. Pete Giordano (psychological science) and Mike Pinter (The Teaching Center and mathematics) delivered an invited presentation entitled “Slow It Down: Strategies for Engaged Learning (including “winging it” once in a while)” in which they discussed activities–including mindfulness, questioning techniques, storytelling and dealing with uncertainty–based on key teaching and learning ideas from a variety of pedagogical experts, including several who have led workshops at Belmont.

Dr. Marnie Vanden Noven (sport science) provided an encore presentation version of “The Elephant in the Classroom: Addressing Sensitive Topics With Skill and Courage” which she initially developed with Julie Hunt (social work) for the 2017 Lilly Conference. She explored the teacher’s role in fostering an environment where students are included and feel safe to discuss potentially taboo topics in meaningful, productive and transformative ways. Andy Watts (religion) and Matt Heard (biology; Faculty Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee) also participated in conference sessions and activities.

Fyke and Webb Present at National Communication Association Convention

Hope Buckner
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Fyke and Webb Present at National Communication Association Convention

Drs. Jeremy Fyke and Nathan Webb, faculty in the Department of Communication Studies, recently presented at the National Communication Association annual convention in Salt Lake City, UT. Drs. Fyke and Webb co-presented a paper titled “’Field’ Research: Letting Corporate Communication Professionals’ Stories Inform Curriculum Development,” based on research conducted in collaboration with Drs. Mary Vaughn and Jimmy Davis, also of the Communication Studies Department.

Fyke also chaired a panel titled “Match-Point: Corporate Social Responsibility, Tensions, and Organizations Engaging Their Constituents” and presented on a panel titled “Using LEGO Playgroups to Address Current Issues and Future Directions in Organizational Communication: Meta-theoretical, Conceptual and Intergenerational Play.”

Students Win Awards at Mock Legislative Session

Hope Buckner
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Students Win Awards at Mock Legislative Session

Belmont’s Intercollegiate State Legislature Team recently attended a Mock Legislative Session and competed with teams from across the country. The group brought home a number of awards including Best Senator, Grace Friedman; Best Representative, Gavin Mummert and Best Lobbyist (Healthcare Firm), Kristin Callahan.

The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature is a forum for the top echelon of the state’s campus leaders to exchange ideas, express their opinions and learn how government works. TISL’s Senate and House of Representatives, which first convened in 1966, meet in the legislative chambers of the State Capitol each November.  

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