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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Top 5! Belmont University Lands Near Top of Annual U.S. News Rankings of Southern Colleges

April Hefner
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Top 5! Belmont University Lands Near Top of Annual U.S. News Rankings of Southern Colleges

University scores accolades for innovation, teaching, veteran support and more

For the ninth consecutive year, Belmont University has again achieved a Top 10 regional ranking with today’s release of U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 edition of America’s Best Colleges, this year ranking at an impressive No. 5 and remaining the highest ranked university in Tennessee in this category. Moreover, Belmont won the praise of its peers as it was included on a number of additional U.S. News lists that rate institutions on areas critical to student opportunities and success.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “These rankings provide benchmarks that are helpful to us as we work to provide programs that equip our students to go out and make a positive impact in the world. While it is rewarding to see Belmont reach a higher ranking overall, it is especially gratifying to be recognized by our peers for excelling in areas that promote strong outcomes for our students. As a student-centered university, this is at the heart of what we aim to achieve.”

In the publication released today, Belmont is lauded for the tenth year in a row for its commitment to “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities,” landing second on the “Most Innovative Schools” in the South list. Belmont earned acclaim in the following categories as well:

    • Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching (No. 4 in the South): The strong commitment to undergraduate teaching ranking is determined via a survey of peer institutions, who cite their fellow institutions who best reflect that quality.
    • Best Colleges for Veterans (No. 3 in the South): To be included, institutions must be ranked in the top half of their overall category, be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program with 20 or more veterans/active service members enrolled.
    • Best Value (one of only 64 institutions recognized in the South): The listing takes into account a school’s academic quality and net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.
    • Internships (one of only 20 institutions recognized in the nation): Schools in this category encourage students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to work in the real world through closely supervised internships or practicums.
    • Learning Communities (one of only 18 institutions recognized in the nation): In these communities, students typically take two or more linked courses as a group and get to know one another and their professors well.
    • Service-Learning (one of only 23 institutions recognized in the nation): Required volunteer work in the community is an instructional strategy in these programs—what’s learned in the field bolsters what happens in class and vice versa.
    • Study Abroad (one of only 44 institutions recognized in the nation): Programs must involve substantial academic work abroad and considerable interaction with local culture

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “This has been an extraordinary fall for Belmont. We started the fall semester Belmont by announcing a record-breaking enrollment number for the 17th consecutive year – reaching a total of 8,080 students on campus. These students remind us every day that they are drawn to Belmont by the diversity and academic strength of our programs as well as by the intentional commitment to student success, as highlighted in the U.S. News rankings. I’m particularly proud of this incoming undergraduate class which brings, on average, the highest entering scores on the ACT (average 26.4) in the past four years. As an institution, we are committed to continue to do our best to fulfill the Belmont mission of providing an academically challenging education that will enable our students to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.”

The U.S. News analysis places Belmont in a premier position among the 135 public and private institutions included in the South region, an area that covers Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Lumos Scholar Shares Her Experiences in Africa

Staff Writer
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Lumos Scholar Shares Her Experiences in Africa

Lumos Scholar and recent Belmont  graduate Karah Waters is currently using her Nursing degree from the College of Health Sciences and Nursing to study healthcare in Tanzania.

Waters is currently interning and working as a nurse at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, a program that will last nine weeks. Her tenth and final week in Tanzania will be spent at the Kidodi Village Rural Healthcare Clinic.

She wrote, “I’ve also observed how different the lifestyles of the people are here and how that affects their health either positively or negatively and how it correlates with what I’ve seen in the hospital… I am in love with all of the people here and the various cultures are SO rich in Tanzania. I’ve learned so much!”

Waters is a recipient of the Lumos Award, coordinated through the Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education department (ISGE).  The purpose of the award is to  transform the lives of young adults by enabling them to embark on a self-designed international working adventure. Recipients explore, engage and immerse themselves in local communities for a minimum of eight weeks in order to deepen their understanding of an issue, project or idea that impassions them.” Lumos Award recipients are expected to “travel with purpose.”

 

Belmont Women Take ‘CHAARG’ of Their Fitness

Staff Writer
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Belmont Women Take ‘CHAARG’ of Their Fitness

Women at Belmont University are getting charged up over CHAARG. Changing Health Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls (CHAARG) is exactly the student organization’s mission. These students are on a mission to teach young women how to embrace and enjoy fitness. Each week they host a studio spotlight event, in which members are introduced to a local fitness studio and are given the opportunity to try out the fitness techniques in a group class. Members also meet every week in smaller groups to participate in their choice of fitness routine.

The goal of CHAARG is to help women“find their fit.” Over 5,000 individuals participate in CHAARG at 50 universities across the country, as well as an online chapter designed for those whose universities do not currently have a CHAARG chapter. Elisabeth Tavierne, CHAARG founder, writes that “my mission is to empower every CHAARG girl to be the best version of herself. I truly hope that all of our members find their passion for health and fitness — whatever that means to them.”

Cayli Allen, a Belmont CHAARG member, described her experience with CHAARG. “I joined CHAARG as a way to make new friends, stay on track with my exercise goals and try something new! I love being able to try all of Nashville’s hottest workout facilities for free with a great group of girls!”

While a main focus of the organization is physical fitness, Tavierne also stresses the importance of living a well-rounded, healthy life. She hopes that CHAARG members grow to embrace a happy and healthy lifestyle in a supportive and encouraging community. CHAARG is also available for university graduates.

To learn more about CHAARG, visit their website or contact Belmont’s CHAARG Ambassador here.

 

Department of Art Presents Dale Addy’s ‘The Conceptualizer’

April Hefner
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Department of Art Presents Dale Addy’s ‘The Conceptualizer’

The Department of Art held a reception and artist talk this week for the solo exhibition “Dale Addy’s The Conceptualizer: A celebration of the artist in all of us.” Addy, founder of DNA Creative Marketing, has taught graphic design at Belmont for the past decade and is responsible for several marketing campaigns and branding projects for the University, including the design of The GIG logo.

Dale Addy
Dale Addy

The idea for The Conceptualizer began in Addy’s classroom, where design students would often immediately search Google for inspiration about what to draw/design when given a design assignment. “Many of my students completely overlooked their own creativity in determining what should be done,” Addy said. “It just seems like technology has lured them–and us–away from our own thinking, our own creativity. Thinking and being inventive is critical in business and design communications today. When young, children usually hold no inhibitions about being creative or drawing. But for some reason, by adulthood, many decide they can’t draw, they can’t be imaginative. And, even more, people–and some artists–think they can’t be creative without some other idea source. And that’s just not true. We all are more creative than we’ll ever think we are, and this show will prove that.”

A native of Orange County, California, Addy began his career in Los Angeles at Altoon + Porter Architects as an environmental designer. He moved to Nashville in 1993 and served as vice president, associate creative director, at Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence. Ten years later he formed DNA Creative Marketing, having since worked on a number of national/international brands. He has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Art and Design from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design.

“The Conceptualizer” exhibit remains on display through Sept. 15 in the lobby of Belmont’s Leu Center for Visual Arts. Hours are Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m.

Belmont Campus Security Donates Bikes to Edgehill Community

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Campus Security Donates Bikes to Edgehill Community

Belmont Campus Security, in partnership with Residence Life and Facilities Maintenance Services, recently donated 45 bikes to the Edgehill Bike Club, an organization in the Edgehill neighborhood that aims to provide free bicycles to local children. The partnership has been in place for two years, and this year’s donation is the largest yet.

Security gathers the donation by collecting abandoned or forgotten bikes from racks across campus at the end of the summer. After sending out several notifications to current students in an effort for bikes to be reclaimed, the team donates the ones that have been left behind to the Bike Club.

Created in 2013 by Terry Key to create crime-free communities, the Edgehill Bike Club “seeks to change lives one child at a time by combining the refurbishing of bikes with regular bikes rallies and mentoring.” Key seeks to achieve the Club’s goals by educating and inspiring children and families living in disadvantaged neighborhoods through providing active community-based programming.

Belmont Campus Security Captain Louis Mills said the opportunity to donate the bikes is a positive experience for everyone — including his officers. With bike officers included as an active part of Belmont’s fleet, Mills and the rest of his team enjoy cycling, themselves. The opportunity to partner with another cycling organization is exciting. “We enjoy working with Mr. Key and the community to put bikes in the hands of our neighbors,” Mills said. “With several bike officers across our campus, we are happy to share our love of cycling with others.”

 

Tough’s Song Featured on ABC Family

Hope Buckner
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Tough’s Song Featured on ABC Family

Tough's HeadshotAssociate Professor of Audio Engineering Technology Dr. Dave Tough’s song “Lonely World” was featured in the season finale of “The Fosters” on ABC Family (Freeform) on September 5. Tough produced/engineered the song and co-wrote it with Belmont alum Tyler Stargle who is also singing on the track

Holt, Carr and McMakin present at CD Baby DIY Conference

Hope Buckner
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Holt, Carr and McMakin present at CD Baby DIY Conference

Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business faculty members Eric Holt, assistant professor, Cheryl Carr, associate dean and Pat McMakin, manager of Oceanway Studios, offered their expertise on a range of topics at the CD Baby DIY Conference in Nashville recently. Holt presented “Get Booked at Local Venues” to a packed room, Carr presented “House Concert Legal Issues: Insights from a Singing Lawyer” and McMakin taught a branded workshop on “When to Use a Private vs. Commercial Studio,” spotlighting Belmont as a sponsor.

McMakin also hosted a recording workshop for the conference at Belmont-owned Oceanway studio.

Herrera and Carr Perform Big Band Benefit Show

Hope Buckner
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Herrera and Carr Perform Big Band Benefit Show

The group performs on stage.Dr. David Herrera, assistant professor and Dr. Cheryl Carr, associate dean of the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business recently performed with the Rory Partin Big Band to benefit band member and Belmont alumnus Rory Partin who is recovering from lymphoma.

The concert was promoted and produced by Belmont students as part of a class on concert promotion. Herrera is lead trumpet player for the band and Carr was a featured vocalist.

‘Wonder Woman’ Screenwriter Allan Heinberg Speaks to Curb College Students

April Hefner
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‘Wonder Woman’ Screenwriter Allan Heinberg Speaks to Curb College Students

Allan Heinberg, the screenplay writer for Wonder Woman, recently paid a visit to Belmont University to speak with students in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. The event was hosted in the Johnson Center Theater, a state-of-the-art facility on Belmont’s campus that offers cutting-edge technology and is designed to foster innovation among students.

During the interview, Heinberg discussed his most recent work on the box office hit, “Wonder Woman.”

“Wonder Woman is a warrior of love, historically, and that was the story I wanted to tell. Her strength is her emotional vulnerability, so we really tried to exploit that. Her physical feats were never the focus of our movie. We wanted to execute them beautifully, but we weren’t writing sequences to showcase her powers.”

During the seminar, students were allowed to ask Heinberg questions regarding his work in film and television. He provided them with valuable advice on how to develop characters and improve their writing skills.

Graduating from the Yale School of Drama with a degree in English and Film Studies, Heinberg launched his career as an actor and screenwriter. After acting both on and off Broadway, Heinberg eventually decided to become a writer full-time. He has worked with acclaimed producer Shonda Rimes for 10 years and has collaborated with her on TV shows including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal.” Some of his other TV credits include “The OC,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Sex and the City” and “The Catch.”

—Story written by Katie Braile

McGrew and Family Named Warner Parks Volunteers of the Month

Hope Buckner
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McGrew and Family Named Warner Parks Volunteers of the Month

Dr. Lori McGrew, professor of biology, and her family were recently named Volunteers of the Month for Warner Parks. McGrew’s husband Joe and her son Conor, a Belmont sophomore and chemistry major, have participated in many volunteering opportunities at the parks over the years. Inspired by McGrew’s grandfather’s passion for the environment and his career as a naturalist with the US Department of Forestry, the family has been involved with the Parks for years.

Conor has served as a member and team leader of the SWEAT Crew at the Parks for the past two summers. Passionate about improving conservation efforts and enhancing natural habitats for wildlife, Conor has worked to maintain Park trails and preserve essential resources.

To read more, click here.

 

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