Dr. Pete Giordano, psychological science, has published a book chapter titled “Personality is Culturally Constructed and Maintained: Helping Students Think Globally about Themselves and Others” in the book Culture Across the Curriculum: A Psychology Teacher’s Handbook (Cambridge University Press, 2018), edited by Kenneth Keith. You can learn more about the book here.
Giordano Publishes Book Chapter
Students Present Research at American Chemical Society National Meeting
Chemistry professors Drs. Alison Parker, Rachel Rigsby and Justin Stace, along with Belmont Chemistry majors Avery Daniels, Tyra Avery, Hannah Peterson, Amber Ansari, Christopher Hanson and Mary Barber attended the 255th American Chemical Society (ACS) 2018 National Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana March 18-22, 2018. ACS organizes two national meetings and expositions each year, and each one attracts an estimated 11,000 to 13,000 chemists, chemical engineers, academicians, graduate and undergraduate students and other related professionals. Students and faculty enjoyed a graduate school fair, undergraduate research poster sessions and graduate and professional research presentations at the meeting.
Four Belmont students presented their undergraduate research posters:
Avery Daniels (and Dr. Justin Stace) presented “Synthesis, characterization and spectroscopy of a terbium-centered complex: Remarkable emission from a colloidal mixture”
Tyra Avery (and Dr. Danielle Garrett) presented “Greener options in the chemistry classroom: a titrimetric analysis of coffee”
Hannah Peterson presented Elucidation of amino acids regulating the species-selective activation of TRPM8 by coal fly ash particle
Amber Ansari (and Dr. Rachel Rigsby) presented “Lipid extraction of wet algal biomass via osmotic shock”
Schneller Boasts Eight Recent Publications
English Professor Dr. Beverly Schneller has eight recent publications to boast, ranging from four books to a conference presentation. Her publications include:
- “John Hill and Mary Cooper: A Case Study in Eighteenth Century Publishing” in the book Fame and Fortune – Sire John Hill and London Life in the 1750s
- “Administrative Redesign: Human-Centered Design Applications for Sustaining Change,” a co-authored essay proposing the adoption of a new model of academic administrative design, including Schneller’s chapter, “Workbook Discussion Guide”
- “Educating the New Majority Learner – an Interview with Eric Malm and Marguerite Weber” published in Academic Transformations – A Design Approach for New Majority Learners, which explores the prevalence of New Majority learners in higher education.
- Four entries to the Cambridge Companion to the Eighteenth Century Novel for the novels The History of a Woman of Quality, The Adventures of a Man of Pleasure, Margaret; or, the Penitent of Godstow, and St. Margaret’s Cave.
- “Teaching Entertaining lives – a Humanities Elective on the Music Business and Entertainment Industry,” a presentation at the Music and Entertainment Industry Educator’s Association conference this month. The presentation discussed Schneller’s curriculum designs, assessment methods, applied pedagogues and motivation for the course, which will be offered in Fall 2018.
First-Year Honors Student Wins State Speech Competition
First-year honors political science major Tyler Redmon won first place in Extemporeous Speaking at the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association’s (TIFA) annual state tournament held at Tennessee State University last weekend. He was named State Champion in the Extemporaneous Speaking Category for 2018.
Redmon said in an interview, “I believe the Forensics team has been one of the most amazing parts of my time here [at Belmont]. We’ve put in tons of work practicing for a whole year now, and it’s incredible to see that work pay off by winning a state championship. Extemporaneous speech can be intimidating at first; having to write and memorize a seven minute speech in thirty minutes while finding a source for every point you make isn’t exactly easy to pick up, but through the great support of my team and lots of practice, I was able to succeed. Winning at TIFA as a novice wasn’t something I was expecting, but with the help of a great group of people around me, I was able to accomplish that goal.”
Simmons Awarded Emerging Leaders Award
Associate Professor of Management Information Systems Dr. Lakisha Simmons has been awarded the Susan Short Jones Emerging Leaders Award by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metropolitan Nashville Chapter. Jones was the founding president of the chapter and a lifelong community activist. The award was presented at the Women of Color Luncheon at Belmont, part of the Sister for Sister Conference hosted last weekend. Simmons participated on the Digital Divide panel at the event. She is the Speaker and EdTech Founder of Homework Suite Student Planner, an assignment tracker app for students.
Dr. Jane Duncan Named as College of Visual and Performing Arts Associate Dean at Belmont University
Belmont University has recently announced that Dr. Jane Duncan has been named as the University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts Associate Dean, a new position that was recently created. Duncan will begin her new role July 1.
Coming to Belmont from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Duncan has worked as a theatre educator for many years and with many populations including students ranging in age from 4- to 90-years-old. While at NSU, she served the institution as the Director of Accreditation, on a Department of Education Title V Grant and most recently, as Executive Director of Assessment and Accreditation. She was also recognized with the Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award in 2011.
In addition to her 12 years at NSU, Duncan has held appointments at the University of Central Arkansas and Barry University. She has experience working within academic affairs, program review, assessment of student learning outcomes, curriculum and faculty development and oversight of compliance with regional, specialized and accrediting standards. Duncan holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from Florida State University, an MFA in Acting from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA in Theatre from the University of Dayton.
Duncan said, “I am thrilled to join the Belmont community and combine my academic credentials (theatre) and recent professional experiences (assessment and accreditation) to serve the students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. I felt so comfortable and welcomed when I visited campus in January and look forward to building on the practices and traditions that have already been established. I eagerly anticipate working with students, faculty and staff in upholding the mission, vision and values at Belmont.”
In her new role on Belmont’s campus as Associate Dean, Duncan will focus on accreditation, curriculum and assessment. She will serve as a collaborative leader among various departments, working to develop and implement academic curricula, procedures and processes pertaining to curriculum development, accreditation reporting and planning, assessment and assurance-of-learning activities, student advising and faculty development.
Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Dr. Stephen Eaves said, “Dr. Duncan brings a perfect mix of academic, teaching and arts experiences to our campus. We know that her engaging personality, creativity and passion will greatly benefit all.”
USTA to Host Community Events, Net Generation Kids’ Clinics as Part of Davis Cup Celebration
Events include public Draw Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame
The USTA today announced that it will hold a number of community events for tennis players and fans of all ages and abilities in Nashville, Tenn., surrounding the Davis Cup World Group Quarterfinal, creating a week-long celebration of tennis in the city.
Davis Cup will be played at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center in Nashville, April 6-8, on an indoor hard court, where the United States will face Belgium. Davis Cup will come to Nashville for the first time in 40 years, as Vanderbilt University hosted a tie against South Africa in 1978. The U.S. holds a 4-0 record over Belgium in Davis Cup play, last facing the nation in 2005.
Play begins at 4 p.m. CT on Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7, and at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 8. Friday will include two singles matches featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s No. 2 player. Saturday’s schedule features the doubles match, and the final day of play on Sunday features the two “reverse singles” matches, in which the No. 1 players square off, followed by the final match between the No. 2 players. All matches are best-of-five sets until one nation clinches the tie. Sunday will feature a revised schedule if a team clinches in the third or fourth match. Tennis Channel will provide live daily coverage.
Fans can purchase single-day tickets and three-day ticket packages at www.usta.com/daviscup. Volunteer information can also be found on this website.
Community events taking place during Davis Cup Week include:
Tuesday, April 3 – Net Generation Kids’ Day and U.S. Davis Cup Team Appearance
12-2 p.m., Centennial Park Indoor Tennis Courts
The USTA and USTA Tennessee will be hosting 40-60 local kids for special Net Generation clinics. Net Generation is the USTA’s new unified youth initiative to inspire the next generation of tennis players. The entire U.S. Davis Cup Team will join to play tennis with the kids from 12:30-1:15 p.m. The Belmont men’s and women’s tennis teams will also take part in this clinic. All kids are pre-selected and part of a local Junior Team Tennis program or Salama Urban Ministries.
Wednesday, April 4 – Net Generation Kids’ Clinic at Hadley Park
12-2 p.m., Hadley Park Tennis Center
The USTA and USTA Tennessee will be hosting 30-50 kids at Hadley Park for a special Net Generation clinic.
Thursday, April 5 – Davis Cup Official Draw Ceremony, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
12 p.m., Country Music Hall of Fame CMA Theater
Members of the U.S. and Belgium Davis Cup teams, as well as special guests including Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, will take part in the 2018 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Official Draw Ceremony to determine the player matchups for the competition. This event will be open to the public and include a pre-event concert by Two Story Road, the husband-wife duo of Brandon and Jamelle Fraley, who both attended Belmont. Following the concert, the community will have the unique opportunity to witness the Davis Cup draw, see their favorite tennis players, and watch the team press conferences take place. Doors will open at 12 p.m.
Friday, April 6 – Net Generation Community Center Day
2-3 p.m., Belmont University Auxiliary Gym
The USTA and USTA Tennessee will be hosting 80-100 kids from 10 local community centers in Nashville for a special Net Generation clinic. Following the clinic, the kids will be involved in on-court pre-event Davis Cup activities and will then watch the matches at the Curb Event Center.
Saturday, April 7 – Net Generation Junior Tournament and Development Camp with former tennis pro Brian Baker
9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Centennial Park Indoor Tennis Courts
The USTA and USTA Tennessee will be hosting 60-80 local kids for two events—a statewide junior clinic and a local junior tournament. Olympian and Belmont alumnus Brian Baker will speak with the kids at 10 a.m. Belmont coaches and players will also be in attendance.
Saturday, April 7 – USTA Celebration of Diversity Networking Event
1:30-3 p.m., Backstage at Sinema
The USTA will host a casual brunch/lunch networking event prior to the Davis Cup matches on Saturday afternoon. USTA Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer D.A. Abrams will be in attendance to discuss USTA D&I initiatives and best practices.
Sunday, April 8 – Net Generation Junior Team Tennis Day
10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Centennial Park Indoor Tennis Courtssd4
The USTA and USTA Tennessee will host four Junior Team Tennis teams from Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. The teams will compete in a round-robin tournament for a trophy. The four teams will be selected to participate by submitting their “Best Davis Cup Cheer.”
In addition, local kids involved in the clinics will have a special role in the matches as part of the Net Generation initiative. Prior to the matches, kids will play on stadium court as part of a Net Generation demonstration. Local kids will also escort the players during the Opening Ceremony on the match days and participate in the coin toss for each match with the chair umpire and competing players.
Last week, U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier named world No. 11 Jack Sock, No. 14 Sam Querrey, No. 17 John Isner, No. 53 Ryan Harrison, and No. 54 Steve Johnson to the U.S. team.
Today, Belgium Davis Cup Captain Johan Van Herck named world No. 116 Ruben Bemelmans, No. 327 Joris De Loore, Sander Gille, who is ranked No. 85 in doubles, and Joran Vliegen, who is ranked No. 98 in doubles, to his team.
Founded in 1900, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis and is the largest annual international team competition in sport, with approximately 135 nations competing each year. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. The U.S. holds a 218-71 all-time Davis Cup record, and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com. Follow Team USA using hashtag #TeamUSATennis on Facebook @USTA, on Twitter @USTA and on Instagram @USTA. Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team. Deloitte is the official team sponsor of the U.S. Davis Cup Team.
Graduate Nursing Students Participate in Interdisciplinary PDC Design Summit
Last weekend, four Belmont graduate nursing students participated in a hospital design challenge with teams of architecture, engineering and construction management students from across the nation as part of the PDC Design Summit in Nashville. The PDC Summit brings together senior leaders working in all disciplines of health care planning, design and construction to learn, network and discover ways to create value for the health care built environment.
Each year, as part of that conference, students participate on interprofessional teams to design a health care structure (within 48 hours) and compete as part of a juried experience. As the first year that nursing students were included in the experience, Belmont’s students were supported by the Nursing Institute of Health Care Design. They designed a micro-hospital to be built in the Gulch and were introduced to the project at their host architect firm’s office, Earl Swensson Associates and visited the construction site prior to the design process.
The Belmont students helped their teams understand a realistic model of care, patient and clinician work flow, necessary adjacencies of departments, infection control, HIPAA, patient and employee security concerns, noise considerations and many other factors. The students determined nurse staffing models, set nurse to patient ratios and calculated staffing budgets.
Dr. Yolanda Keys, professor of nursing at Texas A&M Corpus Christi and past President of NIHD noted, “Including nurses early in the planning stages of a facility can prevent mistakes that may result in non-value added work for nurses when they occupy the space. The opportunity to equip students with an appreciation of stakeholder involvement increases the likelihood that future health care buildings will not only be efficient, but also support positive staff and patient outcomes. We were pleased to sponsor nursing students to participate in this event.”
For more information on this event, click here.
Hook Featured on Michael W. Smith’s Recently Released Album, ‘Surrounded’
College of Entertainment and Music Business Admission Coordinator Ileia Hook has been working as a background vocalist for three-time Grammy award winning contemporary Christian artist Michael W. Smith. With a desire to capture the heart of unity in diversity, Smith called upon friends and vocalists from an array of diverse experiences for his newest worship project, “Surrounded,” including Hook.
She participated in the live recording, studio sessions and a handful of live worship events upon the album’s release. Although light touches of her vocal stylings can be heard through the album, she is most noticeably woven into track number four on the record titled “Reckless Love.”
“Surrounded” can be found via major music outlets.
Belmont Health Sciences Students Teach Local Students about Health-Related Careers
Students from the Belmont University College of Health Sciences and Nursing, with Dr. Natalie Michaels, participated in a Health Science Career Fair at Hillwood High School on Friday, March 23. High school students had a chance to interact with Belmont students to learn more about the fields of nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
