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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Senior Social Work Student Published on Open Table Nashville

Georgia Hiatt sitting with a dogGeorgia Hiatt, a senior social work major, recently published a reflection on trauma-informed approaches to social work for Open Table Nashville (OTN), where she interns.

In her post, Hiatt reflects on an over-night shift she took at one of OTN’s resource shelters and the safety she felt in the midst of her team. She wrote, “It’s exactly this trauma-informed and relational approach that attracted me to Open Table Nashville in the first place.” As a student preparing for a career in social work, Hiatt went on to reflect on how OTN has allowed her to nurture her abilities to be a supportive friend and build healthy bonds.

Hawley Selected as Oxford Scholar

Scott Hawley HeadshotDr. Scott Hawley, associate professor of Physics, has been accepted to participate in a program in Oxford, United Kingdom known as “Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities II” for the 2018 and 2019 summers. The program is hosted by the SCIO center (Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford). Hawley’s proposed research topic of “Christian Responses to the Ascendency of Artificial Intelligence” will involve collaborating with University of Oxford faculty and other Christian scholars from around the world to address challenges and opportunities posed by the increasing prevalence and power of Machine Learning (ML) systems and their impact on society.

Hawley began developing a passion for ML after attending a conference in 2014 where he identified key technologies likely to affect the careers of future students. Since then, he has worked with students applying ML techniques to solve problems related to acoustics and signal processing. He also maintains that ML has made him a better teacher. “There are many similarities between training AIs and training humans,” he said. The fields of Education and ML can benefit from these similarities.

The joint agreement between Belmont University and the other institutes and agencies will also involve supplementing existing Faith & Science initiatives at Belmont and will provide funding for an undergraduate student in Humanities to serve as Hawley’s research assistant and study abroad in Oxford. Students interested in the paid research assistant position should contact Dr. Hawley directly at scott.hawley@belmont.edu. Those interested must be majoring religion, philosophy, honors or computer science, graduating in 2019 or 2020.

The program is sponsored by a grant given by Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities II, a project run by Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford, the UK subsidiary of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, with funding by Templeton Religion Trust and The Blankemeyer Foundation.

Students Inducted into Psi Chi, Psychology Honors Society

A number of dedicated students with exemplary academic records were recently inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society for psychology. The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Timothy Schoenfeld, a new faculty member in the psychology department with a specialization in neuroscience. He gave an inspiring talk to the students, encouraging them to learn from failure, persevere, continue to be involved in research and take advantage of opportunities provided by the psychology department and psychology faculty.

The list of inducted students includes Shaylynn Bradbury, Elise Cloffelter, Rachelle Clousing, Christiana Duerksen, Bailee Ficzere, Dorothy Hicks, Jordan Hoffman, Dani Jackson, Hannah Johnson, Gracie Kelly, Daniel Mata, Mariah Meads, Alyssa Peacock, Heather Ribolla, David Sturges, Lillian Tashie, Molly Tatum, Eason Taylor, Alysson Webb, and Anna Wingo.

Adams Presents at NMGMA Meeting, Featured in Nashville Medical News

Melanie Adams headshotMelanie Adams, executive director of the Center for Executive Education, recently spoke at a Nashville Medical Group Management Association (NMGMA) meeting in an interactive presentation about “Coaching through Change.” Her presentation invited the attendees to think through best practices, pitfalls and effective communications strategies to help guide organizations through transformations. Her presentation was later featured in an article in Nashville Medical News.

In her role at Belmont, Adams leads the Center for Executive Education’s team of facilitators, curriculum designers and program staff in developing programs and instructing leaders within the center’s programs.

Arbor Day Foundation Recognizes Belmont as a Tree Campus USA®

The Arbor Day Foundation recently honored Belmont University for its conservation efforts and its commitment to effective urban forest management by recognizing it as a Tree Campus USA® for 2017. This is Belmont’s 4th consecutive year receiving the recognition.

Tree Campus USA® is a national program that honors colleges and universities committed to engaging staff and students in conservation goals. The program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Belmont achieved the title by meeting the programs’ five standards which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, having a campus tree care plan, dedicating annual expenditures for its campus tree program, having an Arbor Day observance and engaging students in a related service-learning project.

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $48 million in campus forest management last year.

Belmont is committed to its campus-wide sustainability efforts and has a number of green initiatives that contribute to campus conservation including LEED certified buildings, educational and sustainable green roofs, geothermal heating and cooling systems and its Tennessee arboretum designation. In addition, Belmont continues to celebrate its Conservation Covenant, a campus-wide initiative that recognizes the University’s existing sustainability efforts and challenges campus to take the covenant even further.

This year, Belmont students, faculty and staff will continue in their charge by celebrating Earth Day 2018 in a number of ways including a week-long celebration leading up to the big day.

Belmont Vision Sweeps Awards at Southeast Journalism Conference 2018

The Belmont Vision won many awards at the annual Southeast Journalism Conference last week at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. The conference consisted of 45 schools from across the Southeast, 30 of which submitted 412 entries, according to 2017 Best of the South Report. Eleven members of the Belmont Vision staff attended the conference and took home nine awards in the Best of the South Competition for content posted on their website from November 2016 – November 2017.

Individual winners include:

  • Zach Gilchriest, 4th place, College Journalist of the Year and 6th place, Best News Writer
  • Bronte Lebo – 5th place, Best Feature Writer and 3rd place, News Writing
  • Sara Scannel – 6th place, Best Public Service Journalism
  • Melissa Kriz – 2nd place, Best Opinion-Editorial Writer and 2nd place, Copy Editing
  • Paris Lawson – 8th place, Best Sports Writer
  • Hunter Morgan – 4th place, Best Press Photographer
  • Rebecca Arnold – 2nd place, Best Special Events Reporter
  • Jason Saitta – 1st place, Radio News Reporting
  • Caroline Cathey and Aggie Smith – tied 3rd, TV News Reporting

“Finding the In-Between,” a podcast run by the Belmont Vision that focuses on sharing the stories of the Belmont community, won 2nd place for Best College Audio News Program, Vision staffers won five awards for on-site competitions at the conference, and The Vision also won 4th place for Best Overall.

Ippenson Named Blue Ribbon Recipient

Ippensen HeadshotBelmont Masters of Arts in English student Katelyn Ippensen was one of 50 educators honored with a Blue Ribbon Teacher award this year. This program aims to recognize top teaching talent in Metro Nashville public schools. Winners this year include those recognized for their outstanding work in literacy instruction, support of English Language Learners, and teacher leadership.

Those honored will be recognized at a reception in March and celebrated through a month-long city advertising campaign.

Belmont Welcomes Neighbors for 10th Annual Community Day

The Curb Event Center was full last night as more than 3,000 people from Belmont and the surrounding community flooded its seats to watch the Belmont Bruins men’s basketball team defeat Eastern Kentucky (84-73) and women’s basketball achieve an astounding 95-62 win against the same opponent.  Community centers, elementary schools, nonprofits, senior citizens and more attended the event, and families from the Belmont neighborhood claimed tickets to cheer the Bruins to victory.

kids cheering from the basketball stands, holding signs with the number 3As a showing of gratitude to its neighbors, the annual event featured a balloon artist, face painter,  entertainment and more. Some of the city’s favorite mascots were also in attendance to celebrate Bruiser’s birthday. This year’s host partner was Google Fiber.

Additionally, Dalmation Creative Agency donated t-shirts with the event logo to the first 70 guests to arrive. All of those attending were offered the opportunity to register to vote, learn about proposed improvements to Nashville’s transit system and give their opinions on services and programs they would like offered at the Easley Community Center in Rose Park.

Holding onto last year’s impressive turnout, Metro Parks had the most attendance of any group, followed by Knowledge Academy and Eakin Elementary. Gray Line Tennessee also deserves thanks for providing transportation for seniors from five different senior housing sites.

Family standing in front of balloons, smilingBefore the Bruins took the court, the game ball was presented to Senator Steve Dickerson, and Pastor Jeremy Maynard of Southside Community Church opened the event with a word of prayer.

Director of Community Relations Joyce Searcy said the event is one of the best parts of what she does. “We are so grateful to the members of our community, and as ‘Nashville’s University,’ it’s our honor to spend time with those who live in our neighborhood,” Searcy said. “It’s a team effort, and I couldn’t be more pleased with this year’s event. From those who cooked hot dogs, to the students who cheered alongside our guests–we do this for the community. And we’re so happy to be able to continue doing it.”

Searcy and her team bustled around campus all night greeting buses filled with excited children, scooping popcorn and handing out tickets. Student volunteer chairs Sophie Moll and Sydney Prichard, along with 30 other volunteers, ensured that all the night’s guests had a fun experience. As each attendee left for the night, the Community Day team’s words were heard all across campus–“see you next year!”

Belmont Achieves Highest-Ever Career Outcomes Rate

History of strong first destination numbers signals value of Belmont education 

Time to celebrate!

When a University defines its purpose as helping “students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs,” ensuring meaningful outcomes is paramount. Those outcomes, often referenced as an institution’s “First Destination Rate,” measure the percentage of graduates who secure employment, enroll in graduate school or enlist in military service within six months of graduation

For Belmont, which draws that information from student and alumni surveys, the most recent rate is 94 percent, significantly higher than the national average and the strongest number to date the University has achieved.

Mary Claire Dismukes, director of the Office of Career & Professional Development, said, “Belmont graduates are in demand. More than 75 percent of graduates complete at least one internship during their educational experience and the majority of students complete more than one.  We believe this practical experience along with the excellent teaching students receive in the classroom enhances their career readiness. Employers continually tell me that Belmont students stand out for their awareness, curiosity, determination, moral compass and contributions to the team.”

Elizabeth Ann FellRecent graduate Elly Fell certainly fits that description. A double major in mathematics and music with a minor in business administration, Fell landed a position as an actuarial analyst for a Nashville firm. She helps prepare analyses for casualty lines of insurance coverage such as workers compensation, general liability and automobile liability.

Fell noted that the Career and Professional Development team, specifically Rachel Walden, helped her fine tune her resume and prepare for job interviews. In addition, “The well-rounded liberal arts education I received from Belmont, as well as my involvement in organizations such as Belmont Actuarial Student Society, provided me with the communication and technical skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.”

Belmont’s Career Development Team consists of experienced professionals who offer individualized assistance to current Belmont students and graduates. They partner with a number of local and national employers to connect individuals to job opportunities. From organizing large-scale career fairs to meeting one-on-one with current students and graduates seeking professional career coaching, the Career Development staff plays a critical role in Belmont’s efforts to promote the best possible outcomes for students’ education.

The Office of Career & Professional Development is dedicated to focused engagement with students and graduates. Staff specialize in majors and industries based on career clusters, working directly with specific colleges across campus, an effort that allows them to tailor their services to students and graduates as well as connect with employer partners in related fields. And the office’s functions span a wide range of activities as they encourage career exploration, develop educational and professional partnerships and provide intentional career development programming.

Want to know more about the programs and application process for Belmont University? Visit the Admissions website

Study Abroad Director, Maymester Faculty Published in Journal

Dr. Thandi Dinani, Belmont study abroad director, and Drs. Mitch McCoy and Sally Holt, Belmont faculty who lead the Belmont in Spain – World Religion and Identities Maymester in Spain, recently had articles published in the journal “Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad.”

Dinani’s article, “Faith Development While Abroad Amongst African American Students,” explores scenarios of students exploring their faith while studying abroad. The article also describes how study abroad programs provide opportunities for self-exploration and personal development, enhance cognitive and affective skills and increase cultural empathy and intercultural awareness of participants. Studying abroad has been marked as a natural transition period (similar to leaving home for college, traveling or moving from one community) that provide students opportunities to interrupt reliance on external authorities and reflect on their own value systems and beliefs.

McCoy, assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Holt, professor in the College of Theology and Christian Ministry, co-authored “Convivencia, Abrahamic Religions and Study Abroad in Spain,” which details the genesis and evolution of their annual Maymester study abroad program.  It describes how they weave international travel with carefully selected readings and classroom discussions to introduce students to the concept of ‘convivencia,’ the living together of Jews, Christians and Muslims in medieval Iberia. Additionally the article considers how Iberian religious plurality influenced daily life and sacred spaces, how it shaped individual and collective identities and how it challenged notions of hospitality and tolerance.

“Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad” is an open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal that communicates the latest research on education abroad within a multi-disciplinary forum to reflect on critical issues and concerns for academics and professional practitioners. It is published by The Forum on Education Abroad.