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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Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre Named Among Top Ten in Nation

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Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre Named Among Top Ten in Nation

Belmont University’s musical theatre program was recently named among the top 10 in the nation, according to OnStage Blog. Ranked at No. 5, Belmont’s Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre was included because of a variety of criteria including performance opportunities. The Bachelor of Music is set apart from a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree for musical theatre because students are required to take more music focused courses, according to OnStage Blog. Classes include conducting, piano and more extensive study of music theory, all of which Belmont offers.

The ranking’s story included mention of Belmont’s annual New York trip taken during Fall Break. While traveling, students have the opportunity to see shows, attend a master class and meet with alumni at a networking event. Students also have the opportunity to focus on the business side of musical theatre.

Belmont musical theatre has a variety of alumni and former students who have starred on Broadway or in traveling shows. Alumni include Ben Laxton (’11) in “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway, Rebecca Covington (’05) in “Beautiful: A Carol King Musical” on Broadway, Katie Ladner (’13) in “Wicked” on Broadway, Deonte Warren (’10) in “Aladdin” on Broadway, Candace Quarrels (’17) in “Hamilton” in Chicago and Lissa de Guzman (’16) in “Aladdin” National Tour. Notable former students include Chris Lee who starred as Lafeyette/Jefferson in “Hamilton” in Chicago and has appeared on the hit television show “Empire.”

Belmont Legal Aid Society Wins Statewide Video Contest

April Hefner
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Belmont Legal Aid Society Wins Statewide Video Contest

The Belmont Legal Aid Society won the 2018 Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission Law Student Video Contest, which was focused on “Why Pro Bono Matters.” The Access to Justice initiative is the top strategic priority of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the ATJ Commission sponsored a video contest for Tennessee law students to increase participation in pro bono work as well as to raise awareness of pro bono efforts, programs and providers throughout Tennessee.

Under the leadership of Associate Professor of Law Elizabeth Usman, current third-year law student Curtis Campbell and 2018 graduates Elizabeth Robinson Patton and Alix Rogers created the winning video. The winners used the prize money to fund summer stipends so other law students can engage in pro bono work.

Bulla, Mayo Win Audio Engineering Convention Paper Award

April Hefner
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Bulla, Mayo Win Audio Engineering Convention Paper Award

Bulla-Mayo AES awardProfessor of Audio Engineering Technology Dr. Wesley Bulla and Paul Mayo, MS Audio Engineering graduate, are the winners of the Audio Engineering Society’s 145th Convention Paper Award for their work titled, “The Effect of Pinnae Cues on Lead-Signal Localization in Elevated, Lowered, and Diagonal Speaker Configurations.” They will receive their award during the Opening Ceremonies of the convention in New York on October 17.

Caterpillar Financial Hosts Belmont Alumni Event, Donates to Massey College of Business

April Hefner
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Caterpillar Financial Hosts Belmont Alumni Event, Donates to Massey College of Business

A gathering of Belmont alumni was recently held at Caterpillar Financial, and during the event Belmont was presented a check for $10,000 from the Caterpillar Financial Contribution Fund to benefit the Jack C. Massey College of Business. The money will be used for a seminar on Global Career Readiness in the Spring co-hosted by the Center for International Business and the Massey College of Business Career Development Center.

Cat Financial Alumni Event, August 23, 2018.Headquartered in Nashville, the finance and extended protection solutions company employs more than 75 graduates from the Massey College of Business. With approximately 1,000 employees in the West End Avenue building, Belmont graduates represent nearly eight percent of the workforce.

Brandon Harwood, a 2015 business administration graduate, currently serves as a credit analyst at Caterpillar Financial. “My position requires me to analyze credit data and financial statements of individuals or firms to determine whether or not to lend money and the terms to which we do so. The Massey College of Business prepared me for my current position by providing me with the knowledge to think critically and work with other individuals or teams to accomplish tasks. The challenging curriculum and excellent faculty provided me the opportunities to be successful and a degree from Belmont comes with a reputation of individuals being prepared to solve problems, work in teams and lead by example no matter what the position may be.”

2015 accounting graduate Erin Connors is a sales representative for Cat Financial, assisting the network of Caterpillar dealerships and the financial sales teams in the Southwest and Pacific Southwest with providing quotes on financial products as well as service requests. “My education at Belmont taught me how to think globally and look at business issues more realistically. The College of Business does a great job about using real world examples to help make concepts stick and that has been invaluable in transitioning from academia to the corporate world. I think my most impactful class at Belmont was Business Ethics with Dr. [Barry] Padgett. That class taught me to think very objectively and be able to better understand and be comfortable with the gray area that is business. It also helped me to understand what values I was looking for in an employer. Because of that, I feel like I chose a very ethically responsible employer to work for that truly stands by their values in action and aligns with my own personal values as well.”

Caterpillar Financial has been recruiting on campus since 2000 for their internship and management training program. Corporate Syndications Manager Colin Martin has been a part of the company’s Belmont recruiting team since 2011, conducting the on-campus interviews for the company’s Management Trainee program and intern candidates. He said, “I’m always amazed at the leadership opportunities Belmont provides it students either through class projects, clubs, social responsibility or Enactus. The students are always so prepared for our on-campus interviews and can highlight many leadership examples. They compare well against other universities when we bring them to our facility for final interviews. I would encourage all students to take advantage of the opportunities that Belmont provides because companies are looking for future leaders.”

Simmons Nonprofit Work Gets Support from Elected Officials

Staff Writer
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Simmons Nonprofit Work Gets Support from Elected Officials

Lakisha Simmons PREFERREDDr. Lakisha Simmons, associate professor of management information systems, was previously featured in the Tennessean for her nonprofit work as founder of the Period Project. The project, created by Simmons to gather feminine supplies for disadvantaged girls, has now gained support from elected officials Rep. Brenda Gilmore and her daughter Metro Councilwoman Erica Gilmore.

Through the Period Project, donated feminine care supplies will be given to schools in the Metro-Nashville area to hand out to girls in need. Young girls struggle to stay in school during their menstrual cycles, so the supplies Simmons is collecting and donating will allow them to continue learning without missing classes.

The Gilmore’s have helped Simmons launch the Nashville Period Project Challenge and are encouraging community members to gather donations. The drive will take place through the month of September culminating September 29 with an End of Challenge Community Celebration.

Those who wish to participate in the challenge are encouraged to host a drive and collect feminine care products. Donated supplies will be distributed throughout the Metro Nashville Public Schools Community Achieves Program.

Recent Physical Therapy Graduate Completes Unique Clinical Experience in Hippotherapy

Hope Buckner
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Recent Physical Therapy Graduate Completes Unique Clinical Experience in Hippotherapy

Recent graduate of Belmont’s physical therapy program Barbara Parks recently completed a unique clinical experience. With a life-long love for horses, Parks began volunteering at a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) International Premier Accredited Center after finishing her undergraduate degree. It was that opportunity that sparked her interest in physical therapy.

“I went there to be around the horses, but once I started to get to know the kids and saw the incredible impact the horses had on them, I was hooked,” she said. “I saw children speak their first words and take their first steps after hippotherapy sessions. Hippotherapy is what made me decide to go back to school to become a physical therapist.”

Parks has been volunteering at Saddle Up!, a local hippotherapy facility, since she started PT school at Belmont. Hippotherapy is physical, occupational or speech therapy utilizing the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy. She completed her PATH therapeutic riding instructor training at Saddle Up! and worked as a substitute instructor during her 3rd year at Belmont. Thanks to Associate Professor of Physical Therapy & Director of Clinical Education Gail Bursch, a unique clinical experience was created for Parks to follow her dream.

Knowing she wanted a clinical experience in hippotherapy, Parks partnered with Bursch to create an opportunity that would fulfill the requirements of a PT clinical site. Since Saddle Up! does not currently provide PT every day, Parks split her time between the organization and a second facility.

“I absolutely love Saddle Up! so I was thrilled to be able to do my final clinical rotation here,” Parks said. “PT with hippotherapy is a totally different beast because you are not only working with your client, but you have a horse, horse handler and multiple volunteers to worry about simultaneously.”

In addition to working alongside children, Parks was able to focus her attention on learning how to rehabilitate her horses, too. While at Belmont, she discovered the Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner program offered through the veterinary school at UT Knoxville which certifies physical therapists and assistants, veterinarians and veterinarian technicians to apply PT principles to horses. The course consisted of a 60-hour online portion and a week-long, in-person lab at UT Knoxville’s campus.

This year, only 20 professionals will earn the Equine Rehabilitation Certification, and Parks said she is thrilled to be among the ranks. “I hope to be able to apply what I know to help the therapy horses that we rely on so heavily for hippotherapy,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize what a hard job this is for them physically, but we need these horses to balance unsteady riders while maintaining a steady rhythm, adjust their stride length on command, bend their bodies nicely along circles and be incredibly tolerant of all the crazy things we ask our clients to do on their backs.”

Thanks to her time on site, Parks will be joining the Saddle Up! team this fall as a physical therapist.

Dan Hogan Named 2018-2019 Massey College of Business Entrepreneur in Residence

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Dan Hogan Named 2018-2019 Massey College of Business Entrepreneur in Residence

Entrepreneur Dan Hogan has been named as Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business Entrepreneur in Residence for the 2018-2019 school year. Hogan founded his business, Medalogix, in 2009 with the goal of assisting home health providers in managing and delivering more efficient and effective patient care.

As a former home health agency owner and operator, Hogan founded Medalogix to be a post-acute specific predictive modeling and workflow company. His personal healthcare knowledge has assisted him in tackling challenges in home health care and end-of-life care.

As the Entrepreneur in Residence, Hogan will be available to give one-on-one advising to students as they begin or continue in their entrepreneurial endeavors. He will also support other entrepreneurial programs in the Massey College of Business throughout the year. A seasoned entrepreneur rooted in Nashville, the Entrepreneur in Residence will also act as a connector between Belmont and Nashville by setting up speakers, connecting students with mentors and getting students engaged in other entrepreneurial events in the area.

In a convocation event held on campus, Hogan had some advice for students and young entrepreneurs. He told students that “it is better to be lucky because you’re out there in the game,” when starting their own businesses. He encouraged students to get comfortable with the phrase “I don’t know” and to “go and try and fail, and maybe one day you won’t fail.” Hogan also spoke about how influential and critical mentors and advisers have been to him throughout his career.

Dan Hogan speaks on campus

After developing Medalogix, Hogan and his business have been recognized by several different Nashville organizations and national organizations. He was honored as Nashville’s “2016 Entrepreneur of the Year,” and one of “Nashville Business Journal’s” “Most Admired CEO’s.” Medalogix was recently recognized by Harvard University as a Health Acceleration Challenge finalist.

Hogan is a Chicago native and holds a degree in speech communication from the University of Georgia. He is involved in the Nashville community through being on the board of Safe Haven and TEDx Nashville. He also is a member of Leadership Nashville’s 2016 class and a past president of Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Nashville chapter.

Entrepreneur in Residence from the 2017-2018 school year, Victoria Kopyar, will also be available to students as an entrepreneurial resource for the coming school year.

Graduate Nursing Students Provide Medical Services to Community Members

Hope Buckner
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Graduate Nursing Students Provide Medical Services to Community Members

Graduate students from Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing have been volunteering throughout the community to provide well child exams and sports physicals to Nashvillians. A recent purchase of portable equipment has allowed students and faculty to travel throughout the city, providing essential care while ensuring students have access to meaningful clinical experiences.

Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said, “This is a beautiful example of innovative service-learning and the spirit of giving we see in our faculty and staff. Opportunities for clinical placements for FNP students are difficult to secure, especially in pediatrics. Our faculty found a way to use their own community engagement to provide much-needed services while also giving our students high quality learning experiences. We see this as an ongoing opportunity for our students to see how their passions can meet the world’s needs.”

Envisioned and led by nursing faculty members Drs. Linda Wofford and Erin Shankel, the work that began this summer will continue through the fall and spring semesters. This summer, students provided one, on-site day at Harvest Hands, a local nonprofit and a second day at Valor Collegiate Academy. Together, the team was able to provide medical services to more than 30 children.

Bond Named to the Hospital Authority of Metro Nashville and Davidson County Board of Directors

Hope Buckner
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Bond Named to the Hospital Authority of Metro Nashville and Davidson County Board of Directors

Nashville Mayor David Briley recently appointed Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Loretta Bond to the Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Board of Directors for a 5-yr term. The Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County was formed by City Charter in 1999 and is the governing body that oversees Nashville General Hospital at Meharry. Bond’s rich experience in practice and education, as well as her professional focus on health care disparities, made her an ideal candidate for this position.

Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said, “Dr. Bond has a heart for improving access to care for all. She teaches health care policy to our graduate nursing students and chairs the Government Affairs committee for the Tennessee Nurses Association. She has a deep understanding of the social determinants of health and I know she will serve our city beautifully. We are proud of her work.”

Bond’s appointment fulfills the mandate of a national initiative driven by the 2010 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, and furthered by the work of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP and the American Nurses Association. The goal is to place 10,000 nurses on governing boards by 2020.

Belmont Occupational, Physical Therapy Students Travel to Haiti to Partner with Local Organizations

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Occupational, Physical Therapy Students Travel to Haiti to Partner with Local Organizations

In May 2018, Belmont University physical therapy students Samantha Cook and Julie Simpkins and occupational therapy students Mallory Boozer, Amber Sevier-Hunt, Cara Miller and Tori Hendricks traveled to Leogane, Haiti with College of Health Sciences and Nursing faculty Drs. Elena Wong Espiritu and Sabrina Salvant. The team partnered with Respire Haiti, myLIFEspeaks and Faculte des Sciences de Rehabilitation de Leogane, an organization that has the first OT program in Haiti and only the second program for PT, with the first class scheduled to graduate in December 2019.

The service trip included multiple opportunities to learn and interact with other people as Belmont students collaborated with the FSRL students in learning about the similarities and differences in PT and OT in Haiti versus the US. At Respire and myLIFEspeaks, both groups of students built adaptive equipment out of PVC pipe and duct tape, planned and executed activities for children with special needs, provided fall risk assessments and led exercise groups for older adults. Belmont students led a discussion with first year FRSL students on OT and PT, and Espiritu facilitated a case study for the entire group.

In partnership with the Belmont School of Physical Therapy, the Sara Walker Foundation, an organization established to honor Belmont physical therapy alumna Sara Pigg Walker (2003) who passed away from colon cancer, has committed to support efforts in Haiti. The Foundation has pledged to fund a scholarship to cover the tuition of a FSRL PT student and sponsor Belmont students for future service trips through their annual Sara Walker 5K run, scheduled for September 23. If you are interested in participating in the 5K run or contributing online, click here.

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