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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NAHCC, Belmont and Mayor Briley Help Kickoff Hispanic Heritage Month

Staff Writer
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NAHCC, Belmont and Mayor Briley Help Kickoff Hispanic Heritage Month

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NAHCC) recently announced the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month at a kickoff breakfast hosted by Belmont University. The kickoff brought together community members, the NAHCC and Nashville Mayor David Briley to begin the month-long celebration. Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration lasting from September 15 – October 15 focused on recognizing the professional, civic, cultural and business contributors who are committed to the advancement of the Hispanic community in Nashville.

The official kickoff ceremony was held Friday, September 14 at Belmont University, where 120 people were in attendance, and featured remarks from members of the NAHCC. Mayor Briley, a guest speaker, made an official proclamation of Hispanic Heritage Month for the city of Nashville. Following the breakfast, the NAHCC went into detail explaining several of the Hispanic Heritage Month events, and the session concluded with a business round-table.Mayor Briley speaks as official proclamation is unveiled

“We at the NAHCC are very appreciative of the partnership we have with Belmont University,” said President and CEO of the NAHCC Yuri Cunza. “Our relationship is strong, and through the years, it is always a great success teaming up to engage members of our Hispanic community through many events ranging from education, sports, music, arts and culture.”

The NAHCC has scheduled events for community members throughout the month-long celebration. To close out the month, the chamber will be hosting their annual Excellence in Community and Business Awards, a recognition of the Hispanic entrepreneurial spirit and its effect on Nashville and the community. Other corporate and community partners are also recognized. Guest speakers, live music, awards and food will all be a part of the event closing out Hispanic Heritage month.

More information about the months events can be found here.

College of Health Care and Nursing Kicks-Off Simulation Week with “To Err is Human” Viewing, Discussion

Hope Buckner
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College of Health Care and Nursing Kicks-Off Simulation Week with “To Err is Human” Viewing, Discussion

To kick off Healthcare Simulation week, Belmont University and The Tennessee Simulation Alliance hosted the documentary “To Err is Human” on Monday, September 17. Created to bring patient safety back into the national discussion through the power of documentary storytelling, the film aims to showcase solutions that are easy to implement and would dramatically improve the quality of health care.

While access to care is a vital flashpoint in America, it is equally important to ensure the quality of that care is improving and not actually causing unnecessary harm or death. The No. 3 leading cause of death in the United States is its own health care system. Medical mistakes lead to as many as 440,000 preventable deaths every year. Directed by the son of late patient safety pioneer Dr. John M. Eisenberg, the in-depth documentary details interviews with leaders in healthcare, footage of real-world efforts leading to safer care, and one family’s compelling journey from tragedy to triumph.

After the viewing of the documentary, a panel of distinguished guests including Director of the Pamela C. Williams Simulation and Clinical Skills Center at Meharry Medical College Dr. Regina Stokes Offodile, MD CHSE MMHC MHPE MSPH; Vanderbilt University Medical Center Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety’s Dr. Dan France, PhD, MPD; Senior Vice President at the Tennessee Hospital Association Center for Patient Safety Chris Clarke, RN, BSN and Neonatal Outreach Senior Program Manager, Perinatal Outreach Coordinator of Middle TN in the Division of Neonatology and the Simulation Coordinator at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Mary Lee Lemley, RNC, MSN participated in a discussion with moderator and Dean of Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing Cathy R. Taylor, DrPH, MSN, RN. The discussion was rich and highlighted the need for health care professionals to use effective communication to prevent patient harm while challenging healthcare educators to use simulation as a tool to provide a safe place to train the future healthcare workforce.

Belmont Alumna Shares Media Relations Basics

Staff Writer
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Belmont Alumna Shares Media Relations Basics

Belmont’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter recently hosted a convocation event featuring Belmont public relations alumna Victoria Lewis where she shared the basics of media relations, her experiences in business to business (B2B) technology and life lessons for transforming from student to professional.

While Lewis was a student at Belmont, she held many leadership positions including resident assistant, member of Kappa Alpha Theta, PRSSA chapter president, Tower Creative Consultants student-run firm executive director and PRSSA national vice president of advocacy. She graduated in 2016 and began working for Walker Sands Communications in Chicago a few months later.

She said that part of her role at Walker Sands is to get the agency’s clients placed in the media and this requires her to stay on top of what’s happening in the tech world. Walker Sands solely services B2B technology through a variety of avenues including media relations, a digital agency with search engine optimization (SEO) services, embedded content, in-house designers and in-house writers. She said their purpose is to develop and place content for other people in the technology agency to consume.

At Walker Sands, employees work for back-end tech companies enabling them to talk about a lot of interesting topics like artificial intelligence (AI), crypto-currency and block-chain. She said she finds this industry to be interesting and that earning placements are significant as it they can be more challenging to earn that working in business to consumer (B2C) industries.

Lewis went on to share examples of her work with students including the lifecycle of a data study as an example of an integrated team effort, a whitepaper and email pitches she sends to clients. Always looking for interesting leads, she shared idea for potential stories she might pitching including the percentage of employees connecting to public wifi for work or the percentage of marketing professionals who have fallen victim to a phishing scam. Once stories are placed, Lewis is always looking for links to be placed that direct readers back to her client’s website.

She then shared ten life lessons with students for the transition from student to professional, advising them to find their people, be strategic with internships and to “not sweat the small stuff.” She instructed attendees to ignore negative voices, ask for help and make it up as they go. Lewis also shared the importance of reading the news to become a more interesting person, saying thank you and not letting your job become your entire life. She said above all, go for it.

“Whether that’s moving to a new city or taking on a position in an industry you’re interest in or have never considered,” Lewis advised students to take chances and go for opportunities that could make their career. She said that organizations like PRSSA have helped her get where she is today.

Parent and Family Weekend Welcomes Thousands of Attendees

Hope Buckner
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Parent and Family Weekend Welcomes Thousands of Attendees

This year’s event set a record for attendance at the annual event

Belmont University hosted Parent and Family Weekend September 21 – 23 and welcomed more than 2,300 attendees to campus for a calendar full of activities.

The full schedule included concerts, information sessions, sporting events, a movie screening, tailgate picnic and more.

To see the entire calendar, click here.

Humanities Symposium Offers Featured Speakers Panel Discussion

Staff Writer
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Humanities Symposium Offers Featured Speakers Panel Discussion

On Wednesday, September 19 Belmont hosted a featured speakers panel discussion as part of the 17th Annual Humanities Symposium “The Present and the Future of the Past.” The panel included Dr. Gregory Hansen, professor of English and folklore at Arkansas State University, Dr. Martha Norkunas, professor of oral and public history at Middle Tennessee State University and Greg Reish, director of the Center of Popular Music and professor of music history at Middle Tennessee State University. The guest speakers spoke of the relationship between oral history, folklore and folk music.

Hansen started discussion by sharing his background and interest in folklore. He said that looking at ideas and stories of folklore and urban legends can reveal fears and truths in modern life. “Folklore is a contemporary form of traditional culture that is part of modern life with an interesting history.”

Reish shared the differences between musicologists and ethnomusicologists. He said musicologists tend to do most of their work in libraries and archives, looking at musical scores with a traditional methodology. “Ethnomusicologists, however, are scholars who do their work primarily in the field, studying music of a particular community, culture or group of people in a certain place.” Hansen added that a lot of ethnomusicologists also become involved in historic preservation as a whole range of music ideas have a visceral feel of buildings and the body of the past.

Hansen concluded by sharing that connections can be made between history and music by speaking to old musicians. “If you find a good storyteller, that musician may have a vivid memory of the history of music and folklore.” Reish provided an example of Bluegrass musicians and fans living through the past through music. The speakers were introduced by Belmont professor of Italian, Francesca M. Muccini.

Alumni Ennis Discusses His Work with The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security

Staff Writer
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Alumni Ennis Discusses His Work with The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security

On Monday, September 17, Belmont hosted a convocation event featuring Belmont alumni Ryan Ennis who speak about his work for the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Ennis shared his experiences working specifically with the Commercial Driver License Division (CDL) and the Division’s recent advancements. He also shared opportunities for professional growth through the Division’s new internship program featuring available positions in communications, compliance, record management, data report writing and more.

Ennis was introduced by CDL Compliance Manager and Belmont student Olivia Jones. She began by sharing with students that there is much more to this job than one might think. She said that there are 300,000 commercial drivers licenses that the Division maintains across the state of Tennessee, as well as compliance and fraud monitoring. She shared that CDL holders must have access to the knowledge and resources they need to keep roadways and other drivers safe.

“Public and roadway safety is vital to everyone,” Jones said. “The CDL Division is changing the way state government operates.” She said as the state rolls out a larger focus on customer service and upholding accountability, the safety of our roadways will follow suit.

For Ennis, the time he’s spent with CDL has come with many changes. He shared that nine new positions have recently come available, and the Division has incorporated new communications software to run data analytics on customers served and satisfaction ratings. In addition to these advances, Ennis said that new, more effective and cost efficient tablets across the state have saved tax payers $400,000 and over $696,000 has been invested in the Division.

Ennis concluded by sharing with students that everyone has a role to play in public safety and the CDL Division has a need for a wide variety of educational backgrounds and interests. He said that the Division is investing in their personnel and once students have graduated, there are significant opportunities for growth and use of their skill-sets.

Williams-Gilbert Presents at Canadian Country Music Awards

Hope Buckner
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Williams-Gilbert Presents at Canadian Country Music Awards

Adjunct Instructor in the College of Entertainment and Music Business Cristi Williams-Gilbert was recently invited to present at the Canadian Country Music Awards held in Hamilton, Ontario September 6-9. She spoke to industry professionals about mental health during her presentation, “Mental Wellness and the Current Climate of the Entertainment Industry.”

During her session, she spotlighted the importance of proactively gaining tools of self-awareness, coping strategies, strong relationships and community. When she is not teaching at Belmont, Williams-Gilbert she is an emotional wellness coach for entertainers and artists. She is the founder of Shading the Limelight and has been coaching artists, bands, actors and athletes for 12 years.

After returning from Canada she said, “I’m very encouraged that the Canadian Music Industry is eager to learn preventative measures and incorporate mental wellness coaches as part of their management team to prepare their artists.”

Lamote Elected Society of Seventeenth Century Music Secretary

Hope Buckner
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Lamote Elected Society of Seventeenth Century Music Secretary

Virginia Lamothe HeadshotAssistant Professor of Musicology Dr. Virginia Lamothe was recently elected as Secretary of the Society of Seventeenth Century Music . The Society is an international society dedicated to the study and performance of seventeenth-century music and related arts.

Lamothe will serve a three-year term coordinating the semi-annual newsletter, annual meetings and management of the Society’s web page. As secretary, she will also serve as a liaison to the International Heirich Schütz society. She has been a member of the Society since 2001 and has published in the Society’s Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music.

Alumnus Named CEO of Nashville LGBT Chamber

Hope Buckner
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Alumnus Named CEO of Nashville LGBT Chamber

Joe WoolleyJoe Woolley, a 2006 journalism graduate from Belmont, was recently named as the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive Officer. After working in media for years in New York City after graduating from Belmont, Woolley returned to Nashville where he has worked in communications and marketing since. He has a long history with LGBT and political advocacy in Nashville as he was one of the founders of the Tennessee Equality Project in 2004 and has been active in raising funds for out political candidates through the Victory Fund.

Representing more than 325 businesses and individuals in Nashville and the surrounding area, the Nashville LGBT Chamber is the premier advocate of the Greater Nashville Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender business community. In a recent press release on Woolley’s appointment President and Board Chair of the Chamber Ron Snitker said, “Joe has outstanding qualifications to continue our fast-moving, upward trajectory. The Chambers has a lot of momentum right now with a 34% average annual membership growth since 2010, the creation of our foundation which provides scholarships for LGBT business owners to grow their business, receiving an appropriation to assist in getting more minority-owned businesses registered with our metro government, expansion of our programs and events and numerous local and national accolades.”

A Chamber veteran, Woolley has served on the Board of Directors for four years serving in roles including chair of the marketing committee, vice-president and president. Additionally, he has extensive nonprofit experience from serving on multiple boards and commissions and operating a nonprofit consulting business working with numerous local and national organization. He was recently named to the 2018-19 Leadership Nashville class.

In the same press release Woolley said, “It is a huge honor and privilege to be named CEO of the Chamber. I have dedicated the last four years in service to this organization and the mission I believe so strongly in, and I am excited to continue working on that in a new and different leadership role. The Chamber has come so far in 20 years and has had huge growth and successes in the last few, I am ready to work with our members, the board and the broader Nashville community to keep our growth and success going.”

‘There’s More to Knowing Than Seeing’ for Belmont Students in Iceland

Staff Writer
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‘There’s More to Knowing Than Seeing’ for Belmont Students in Iceland

In the Spring 2018, a group of 15 students and faculty from Belmont University visited the country of Iceland as part of Study Abroad. Following an eight-week interdisciplinary study of the island nation, participants in the program were able to spend their spring break visiting Iceland and exploring different museums and natural sites.

Professor and student share experience abroad with guests of humanities symposiumAt this year’s Humanities Symposium, a number of students and faculty shared their experiences in the pilot program. In a panel discussion titled “There’s More to Knowing Than Seeing,” the group discussed topics like why they wanted to go to Iceland, how the classes and trip changed their understanding of Iceland and its people and what some of their most memorable experiences were while there.

Dr. Maggie Monteverde, professor of English, spearheaded the idea for the trip and taught a class focused on Icelandic culture and literature. Dr. Jennifer Thomas, department chair and professor of biology, was also a part of the trip and taught a course on the biological standpoint of the Icelandic peoples genetics and the founder effect. The third faculty member a part of the trip was Dr. Nathan Griffith, associate professor of political science. He taught a course focused on the Icelandic government and its traditions.

Students Zach Stenzel and Victoria LaTeano, who were a part of the study abroad program, participated in the panel discussion at the Humanities Symposium. The panel was asked why they wanted to go to Iceland, and both students commented on how Iceland was on their list of places to visit and how the classes offered were a huge draw. LaTeano said, “The topics presented, particularly the combination of the three elements, are what made me want to go on the trip.”

All the members of the panel agreed that by studying Iceland and its people first, their perspectives were changed and influenced when they visited the island. Stenzel commented on how the opportunity to go and see what they had learned in class made the experience more meaningful and unique. LaTeano agreed saying, “We were seeing the things we learned in the little things in Iceland.”

When asked to comment on the topic of the symposium, the present and the future of the past, in relation to Icelanders’ relationships with their past, present and future, the participants of the panel commented on different things. LaTeano talked about how the Icelanders relationship with the environment was a huge factor in their past, and it will continue to be in their future. Thomas also shared how Iceland is welcoming others in order to benefit their economy. Being an island nation, most of the people on the island come from common ancestry but now they are welcoming more immigrants to their country to grow the economy. Thomas commented on how they are an independent nation due to their isolation but are focused on becoming more interdependent as the future becomes reality.

In the closing remarks of the panel, Griffith shared some wisdom with guests about how in Iceland people know where and who they came from and on the island nation it can seem as though “it’s all related.”

More information about the study abroad trip to Iceland can be found here. Additional information about the Humanities Symposium can be found by clicking here.

 

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