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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Belmont Named as a ‘Top School for Entrepreneurship 2017’

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Belmont Named as a ‘Top School for Entrepreneurship 2017’

The Princeton Review recently released its 2017 list of the “Top Schools for Entrepreneurship, and Belmont University was included for its outstanding undergraduate entrepreneurship program. Belmont was ranked as #23 on the undergraduate list after The Princeton Review collected data from more than 300 schools. This is Belmont’s eighth year receiving this recognition, and Belmont is the only school in Tennessee to be included.

According to the report, schools were ranked on the strength of their undergraduate programs based on survey data that each institution provided. The survey covered categories including academics and requirements, students and faculty, alumni ventures, partnerships with outside entrepreneurship institutions, competitions hosted by the school or program, the presence of mentorships and scholarship and financial aid availability for entrepreneurial studies. The list of schools will be included in the December 2017 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, set to release on Nov. 22.

Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president and publisher, said “These colleges and b-schools have superb entrepreneurship programs. We highly recommend them to any applicant aspiring to launch a business. Their faculties are truly engaged in entrepreneurism. Their courses are rich with in-class and out-of-class experiential components, and the financial and networking support their students and programs receive via donors and alumni is extraordinary.”

To view the full 2017 undergraduate list of entrepreneurship schools, click here.

Students Present Research at American Chemical Society Meeting

Hope Buckner
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Four Belmont students and Assistant Professor Dr. Justin Stace recently attended SERMACS, the Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. All four students who attended presented at the conference. These students included:2016_sermacs_group

  • Sarah Maxwell, an honors, biochemistry & molecular biology major, presented a research poster titled “A Kinetic Study of Ligand Exchange by a Copper(II) Schiff-base Complex.”
  • Priyanka Kumar, honors and biology major, presented a research poster titled “Studying the Physical Properties of Copper Complexes with Various Counter Anions.”
  • Sarah Cannavino, a chemistry major, presented a research poster titled “Symmetry breaking in nanorod synthesis using metal salts.”
  • Libby Ligon, chemistry major, presented a talk titled “Determining the activation energy of the rate-limiting step of the Fenton reaction.” This talk discussed the research done during the past two summers working under Dr. Spence as part of Belmont’s Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Stace said, “I think I can speak for all of us when I say that the conference was excellent. In addition to hearing about some exciting work done around the southeastern region of the country, our students also had the opportunity to present their findings to a challenging audience and receive invaluable feedback and some ideas about future work.”

Trustees Joe and Anne Russell Spur $4 Million Endowment to Support ‘Bridges to Belmont’

April Hefner
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Trustees Joe and Anne Russell Spur $4 Million Endowment to Support ‘Bridges to Belmont’

Two Oaks residence hall renamed in honor of Joe’s parents: John and Frances Russell Hall

Anne and Joseph Russell celebrate with their family as Russell Hall is dedicated on the Belmont University campus in Nashville, Tenn. November 16, 2016.

Long-time Belmont Trustees Joe and Anne Russell recently made possible a $4 million endowment to support the Bridges to Belmont program, an initiative that was designed to enroll qualified, high potential students from Metro Nashville Public Schools who may not have previously been able to consider Belmont an option. Bridges Scholars are currently selected from four Metro Nashville Public Schools—Stratford, Maplewood, Whites Creek and Pearl Cohn—and most of the scholars are first-generation college students.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Joe and Anne Russell show their support of this University in countless ways, and I can’t say enough about their contributions of time and resources for more than two decades. With this gift to support current and future Bridges Scholars, they are clearly demonstrating the tremendous value they place on education. The entire community—here at Belmont and throughout our city—will benefit from their generosity.”

Joe serves as the chairman of Elan-Polo Inc. and has contributed to Belmont’s Board of Trustees for 20 years. Anne serves as special counsel at/for Adams and Reese LLP.  Anne has been a Belmont board member for five years.

In gratitude for their gift, a 400-bed residence hall that opened on campus in 2014 under the name Two Oaks is being renamed in honor of Joe’s parents, John and Frances Russell, who Joe credits for inspiring his success by demanding he put his education first. A first generation college student, Joe recalls, “I grew up in a family where the only question was where I would get a college education, not if. My mother and dad saw the difference between what a college degree could mean for my financial and social enhancement as well as my overall quality of life.”

Anne and Joseph Russell celebrate with their family as Russell Hall is dedicated on the Belmont University campus in Nashville, Tenn. November 16, 2016.Joe’s father, John Russell, was the second oldest of seven children and left school in the ninth grade following his father’s death in order to help provide for his family. While working at the same bank for 47 years, he clearly saw the opportunities that abounded for men and women with college educations as their acquired skills quickly led to advancement. Joe’s mother, Frances Russell, was born in Kentucky and attended St. Thomas’ nursing program, working for years as the assistant head nurse in the hospital’s pediatric ward. The couple fervently encouraged their son toward education, and their belief in the value of education was so strong that John Russell even helped initiate a scholarship program similar to Bridges to Belmont at the Isaac Litton High School men’s club.

Joe’s parents’ focus became a strong theme in Russell’s own life. Contributing to the Bridges to Belmont program connects his passion for education to his personal history in other ways, too, since he grew up in East Nashville, where he attended a public school that saw less than a fourth of graduating seniors go to college.

Russell said, “In our country the biggest challenge is to develop ideas and initiatives that generate interest from kids who would not ordinarily be interested or concerned with their educational outcome. Our involvement with Belmont is allowing us to play a small part in addressing that challenge. There’s a little bit of magic for us in this gift to Belmont in that we know it can help kids in public schools from our hometown receive a potentially life-changing education.”

The $4 million endowed fund will support the Bridges to Belmont program, which currently includes more than 100 Scholars who are receiving a Belmont education with all costs for tuition, room and board, books and fees covered via University scholarships along with state and federal grants.

Nursing Students Participate in Local Flu Vaccine Event

Hope Buckner
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Students participating at a vaccine clinic in Belmont's neighborhood.Junior and senior Belmont nursing students participated in a flu vaccine event for refugee families at Siloam Family Health Center on Saturday, November 12. The students served 67 individuals with vaccine provided by Walgreens.

Participating students gained valuable clinical experiences while serving neighbors in our area. One student said, “This was a great opportunity. I love working here and would like to come back to volunteer on my own time.”

The group worked alongside faculty members Ms. Jean Blank and Drs. Susan Taplin and Martha Buckner.

Belmont Leaps to Top 10 List for Students Studying Abroad

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Leaps to Top 10 List for Students Studying Abroad

Belmont ranks No. 5 for short term programs and No. 9 for total number of studying abroad students

Belmont University’s study abroad program has grown significantly in recent years, and the University’s numbers demonstrate its popularity. In a recent “Open Doors Report,” published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) that ranks U.S. schools by the number of students studying abroad, Belmont ranked No. 5 for short term programs, an increase from last year’s No. 12 ranking. When evaluating the entire University’s programs, Belmont ranked No. 9, an improvement from last year’s No. 18 placement.

The report highlighted the growth of study abroad programs across the country as more than 313,000 U.S. students received credit last year for study abroad, an increase of nearly three percent over the previous year. Approximately a quarter of these students majored in STEM fields. The Open Doors findings reflect that students study abroad in part to gain international experience that can be applied in their careers, and data also show that an increasing number of U.S. students—over 22,000 last year—participated in non-credit work, internships and volunteering abroad where they can gain practical skills.

Students pose with Bruiser at Study Abroad Fair.Belmont’s Director of the Office of Study Abroad said, “We could not be more excited about Belmont’s ranking in the Open Doors report.  We work with over 80 committed and enthusiastic faculty who design and carry out our short term programs. This ranking is proof of what collaborations between disciplines can produce and the willingness of our students to take advantage of these opportunities. I am so excited to see Belmont’s abroad program continue to grow and thrive providing the ability for all students to have a life changing experience overseas.”

Marie Holzer, a Belmont student, participated in a trip to Spain last May where she gained a new perspective on life. “In this short amount of time, I gained a completely new perspective of the world,” Holzer said. “I was able to puncture my ‘American bubble’ and truly participate in a new culture while realizing overarching human commonalities we all share. This participation has forever changed me and the path of my life, and I am so grateful to Belmont, Dr. Holt and Dr. McCoy to have experienced something so special.”

IIE’s report is published annually in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Belmont Physical Therapy Students Honor the Memory of Alumna Sara Pigg Walker

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Physical Therapy Students Honor the Memory of Alumna Sara Pigg Walker

Belmont University Doctorate of Physical Therapy students played an important role in honoring a fellow 2003 Belmont DPT alumna, Sara Pigg Walker, on September 25.  Belmont’s current DPT students organized a Kids for Kids Fun Run, a new event added to the annual Sara Walker Run 5K, where kids were encouraged to run for children around the globe.  Belmont’s DPT students teamed up with the Sara Walker Foundation and Lipscomb University to help organize this event in honor of Sara Walker, by spreading her message of hope through Jesus Christ.

The first Sara Walker Run occurred in April 2011, when Sara’s Belmont PT family wanted to raise funds for Sara’s medical expenses after she was diagnosed with cancer. Her 2003 classmates, with the help of the Belmont School of Physical Therapy faculty and STAR Physical Therapy, successfully organized this family-friendly 5K race for hundreds of Sara’s friends, family and blog readers to offer support and encouragement. Due to its success, and in an effort to continue to honor Sara, the annual Sara Walker Run continues today and serves as the Sara Walker Foundation’s main fundraising event.

Sara’s Story:

walkerrunc2016Sara’s story begins when her life changed drastically in December 2010. She was happily married to her husband Brian, had two healthy boys, Camden (age 5) and Scott (age 3), and was expecting their third child to be delivered only days before Christmas. On December 6, their wedding anniversary, Sara gave birth to her still-born daughter, Anna Elizabeth. Just four weeks later, multiple suspicious lesions were found on Sara’s liver, and in January 2011, on her 33rd birthday, Sara was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. After 16 rounds of chemotherapy and three clinical research trials, Sara’s earthly struggle with cancer ended in August 2012, at the age of 34.

During her life, Sara had two great loves–writing and bringing souls to Jesus Christ. From January 2011 until she passed away, she utilized her love of writing to provide encouragement, always pointing her readers to Jesus. She candidly wrote of her physical, emotional and spiritual battles, hoping and praying she could provide encouragement to at least one reader. God took her story and writings and reached over 700,000 readers worldwide! What resonated most with her audience was the concept of “savoring.” She expressed frequently the value of enjoying the little things life has to offer and seeing each moment as a gift from God.

Because of her great outreach to the lost and hurting, her family and close friends established The Sara Walker Foundation in 2012 to continue to provide hope to others in her honor. Because of Him, her story continues today.

Sara Walker Foundation and Belmont University:

This year, Belmont and the Sara Walker Foundation were able to provide two current DPT students with scholarships in Sara’s honor.  Recipients were 3rd year students Maggie Kell and Taylor Emberton. The Foundation also added two new board members to represent Sara’s connection with Belmont  and the DPT program including Christi Williams, 2005 alumna and assistant professor of physical therapy, and Jennifer LaRocca, 2003 alumna and close friend and classmate. “I cannot describe how honored I was to be asked to serve as a board member of the Sara Walker Foundation this past year,” Williams said. “Sara’s story is remarkable, and to me she is a perfect representation of the overall mission of Belmont University, which is to ‘transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.’ Sara did all of that, and through her story, she continues to do so today. Words do not describe what it is like to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself. Seeing the current PT students become part of Sara’s story is yet another example of how incredibly special the Belmont PT family is.”

Sara’s sister Dinah Hall, also a Belmont DPT alumna (2006), with the help of Williams, LaRocca, Kell and Emberton, successfully added a Kids for Kids Fun Run this year for more than 200 kids.  The Fun Run included multiple obstacles and events designed and organized by Belmont’s current DPT students.  This student team was led by scholarship recipients Kell and Emberton.

Kell stated, “As the 2016-2017 Sara Pigg Walker Scholarship recipients, Taylor and I were kindly asked by the Foundation to lead the Kids Fun Run. We were honored to hold this position as Sara was also part of the Belmont PT family. Although our contribution was quite small compared to her works, it meant the world to us that the Foundation wanted Belmont to have a large role in living out her dream. Sara Walker has inspired and invested in numerous lives and we hope to do the same.”

Emberton commented, “Her legacy still fervently spreads joy to not only her family and friends, but to so many people in need across the globe—and this is so evident as you just stand and take a moment to look around when you are surrounded by hundreds of people who participate in the Sara Walker Run. I never knew Sara, but she makes me proud to be a student of the Belmont University School of Physical Therapy program, and she has inspired me to channel a passion for my profession to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to help those who are often overlooked.”

This year’s run included nearly 700 participants, and featured a new event—the Kids for Kids Fun Run and children’s worship service led by Sara’s Dad ‘Papa Pigg’.  The event successfully raised $75,000 of which 100 percent will go toward missions supported by the Sara Walker Foundation.

“This event would not be possible without our Belmont PT family and friends,” Hall said. “The Foundation is grateful to have current Belmont DPT students join us in making our first annual Kids for Kids Fun Run a success.  We hope our connection with Belmont School of Physical Therapy grows as God continues to open doors of service to those in need.”

To learn more about Sara’s story, the mission of the Sara Walker Foundation and the lives she has touched and continues to inspire today, click here.

Nursing Students Participate in Community Health Fair

Hope Buckner
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20161111_174833Belmont nursing students participated in the bi-annual Mid-Night Spa and Health Fair at the Greater Christ Temple Church on Friday, November 11. This event was provided by the church for members and the community to participate in health screenings and education.

Belmont participants were divided into two areas including a group who completed body mass index and blood pressure screenings. Students provided handouts on both issues as well as Belmont-branded gifts. The second group worked in the Kids’ Zone where they provided two table demonstrations on flu prevention/hand washing and health lifestyle practices, including jump ropes and opportunities to draw healthy foods on a poster board. All participating Belmont students are enrolled in the Health Assessment course.

Assistant Professor of Nursing and course instructor Dr. Tracy Wilson said, “Our students were able to demonstrate the skills they are currently learning by providing a service to a community that may not have access to medical care. We were able to connect with people, not only on a professional level but through the Christian-human experience. I believe this will leave a lasting impression on each of them, as well as me, forever.”

Belmont Recognized in All Four Categories in National Community Service Honor Roll

Staff Writer
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Belmont Recognized in All Four Categories in National Community Service Honor Roll

CNCS Honor Roll logoThe Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the U.S. Department of Education have listed Belmont University on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the year 2015. This is Belmont’s fifth consecutive year being recognized by one of the highest honors a college or university can receive for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. With community initiatives such as the Welcome Week SERVE program, organizing events annually for Family Literacy Day and being a hosting site for Room in the Inn every Wednesday and Friday evening during cold months (Nov.-March), Belmont was recognized in the categories of General Community Service, Economic Opportunity, Education and Interfaith. This is the first year in which Belmont has been honored in each category.

Belmont’s Director of Service-Learning Tim Stewart said, “We are very grateful to receive this recognition from the President’s Honor Roll for the hard work of Belmont’s students, faculty and staff towards our vision of being a leader among teaching universities, bringing together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. It affirms our commitment to our mission to help our students engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.”

Stewart hopes to continue promoting the university’s commitment to service by looking for more ways to connect students to service-learning through class initiatives. The Office of Service-Learning is already gearing up for the MLK Joint Day of Service on January 14 by working with other area colleges and universities. The office is also in the middle of its annual poetry contest for elementary school students and will soon be preparing for the 17th annual Family Literacy Day, which is set to be held on April 8.

JoJo Experiences Belmont as a ‘Freshman for a Day’

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JoJo Experiences Belmont as a ‘Freshman for a Day’

jojo_is_a_belmont_freshman_fall_2016_105-x2On Nov. 10, students welcomed pop singer JoJo to Belmont’s campus just like they do for every other freshman on his or her first day—by surrounding her car and cheering for her presence. As soon as JoJo stepped foot on campus, she was embraced by Bruiser, Belmont’s mascot, and given a warm welcome by students, faculty and staff alike. After receiving an introduction by President Dr. Bob Fisher, she began her journey to being properly inducted as a Belmont student—attending an artist management class in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, checking out the Robert E. Mulloy Studios in the basement of the Jack C. Massey Business Center, making a pit-stop to jam out in one of Belmont’s many gazebos and ending her day with a performance in the Massey Performing Arts Center.

JoJo’s visit to campus was the result of an online voting competition held by Topsify, which is a tool used with Spotify to access Top 40 playlists in several countries. Students voted for JoJo to come to Belmont’s campus and be a “freshman for a day,” which included her presence in a class as well as a free performance and Q&A session. Belmont won the contest with over double the number of votes that the runner-up university received.

Current student Kate Myers was largely responsible for the number of votes Belmont received during the competition through her promotion of the contest. A college marketing representative for Warner Music Group, which owns JoJo’s label Atlantic Records, Myers ended up spending the day walking JoJo to and from events and telling her about Belmont. “I was so proud to see the amount of support and excitement from Belmont and our community,” Myers said of her experience. “JoJo has been super busy with the release of her new album and I was so grateful that she had time to come to Belmont. She was so nice, stopped to take a picture with everyone who asked, and was genuinely interested in learning more about Belmont and the students she met. She is so talented and it was an honor to get to work with her, her team and Belmont to help make this event happen!”

JoJo giving her presentation in Professor O'Brien's class

When JoJo began her day by walking into Instructor of Music Business Dwayne O’Brien’s artist management class, she walked into her first ever college class—and luckily, she had done her homework. Each student was assigned to give a presentation on an unsigned artist that they believed had the potential to be pitched to a record label, stating why they believed the artist would be successful. JoJo got up in front of the class and gave her presentation just like everyone else, discussing an artist named Michael Christmas from Boston, which is near her hometown of Foxborough. JoJo said, “The way that he moved an audience was the way that a star moves an audience.” While JoJo’s final presentation grade was never discussed, O’Brien did say that she had done a fine job. JoJo also listened in on several presentations and helped O’Brien give feedback to the students.

jojo_is_a_belmont_freshman_fall_2016_125-x3After class was dismissed, JoJo made her way to the campus studios to surprise sophomore Gretchen MacIlwaine, who is a big JoJo fan and an aspiring musician. MacIlwaine was in the studio in the middle of a recording when JoJo walked into the room and gave her a big hug. The two then sang a song together, and JoJo invited her to sing with her later in the day at her scheduled performance.

jojo_is_a_belmont_freshman_fall_2016_131-x3On the way to her dressing room to prepare for the 5:30 p.m. show, JoJo stopped in at a gazebo to sing a few tunes with musicians who were already rocking out and to take selfies with several of her many followers. She then headed to sound check and, after a surprise performance by Belmont’s a cappella group The Beltones singing a medley of the artist’s hits, JoJo came to the stage and sang her new tunes “No Apologies,” “Clovers” and “I Am” to a packed room of students.

jojo_is_a_belmont_freshman_fall_2016_145-x3Following the performance was a Q&A session hosted by Belmont senior Zach Middleton. Students were able to ask JoJo questions about the music industry and life in general, ranging from what advice she would give aspiring artists to what kinds of food she eats in the studio. JoJo ended her visit by thanking Belmont for hosting her and by saying how impressed she was with the student body. “I’ve heard so much talent in just the few hours I’ve been here, on both the business and creative side [of music]. It’s inspiring.” Although students couldn’t convince her to officially enroll at Belmont, they have a feeling she will always remember her first day as a college student.

JoJo Visits BelmontJoJo recently released her first LP in a decade called “Mad Love” and is currently finishing up the details of her next tour, scheduled to start in January 2017.

To view photos from throughout JoJo’s “Freshman for a Day” experience, visit Belmont’s online photo gallery.

Alumni Relations and Career Development Offices Offer ‘Career Conversations: Bruin to Bruin’ Series

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Alumni Relations and Career Development Offices Offer ‘Career Conversations: Bruin to Bruin’ Series

Belmont University’s Office of Alumni Relations and Office of Career & Professional Development recently piloted a partnership program that aims to gather alumni and current students for an intimate conversation about career life. Although Belmont often invites alumni to campus to speak at convocations and large lectures, there was no existing program that allowed conversation to take place in a small and interactive setting. The sponsoring offices hope this new program, called “Career Conversations: Bruin to Bruin,” will provide a more engaging opportunity for alumni to share their experiences with students who are studying their industries.

Clark and Hart at the first entertainment roundtableCareer Conversations held its pilot roundtable on October 24 in the Foutch Alumni House with a focus on the entertainment industry. The conversation was led by alumni Emilija Clark (2014) and Kristoff Hart (2016) who both represented the company Made in Network, a video media organization that stresses the importance of creators making a presence on YouTube. Made in Network has YouTube certifications in both Audience Growth and Advanced Digital Rights Management and accumulates over 70 million views a month. Clark is the current director of strategy and Hart is the manager of client services.

A second segment in the series was held last night focused on the public relations industry. As the “Career Conversations” program continues in its initial development phase, the offices hope to expand the roundtables to include industries based on student interest. The role of the Office of Career & Professional Development is to help determine what topics students are interested in and invite them to participate while the Office of Alumni Relations extends the invitation to alumni and gives them the opportunity to share their story.

Tish Stewart, senior career development specialist in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, was happy with the way the first event in the series turned out. “Our first Career Conversations roundtable was a great success. Our alumni are a critical component of educating our students and encouraging success. I am excited about this partnership and look forward to many more in the future.”

Belmont’s Associate Director of Alumni Relations Julie Thomas said there’s a current trend in higher education that stresses the importance of aligning alumni and career development strategies. “Our team is excited about the opportunity to partner with Career & Professional Development on this new program initiative,” Thomas said. “Belmont alumni have a wealth of knowledge and they are passionate about sharing their experiences in order to help the next generation of Belmont graduates succeed.  ‘Career Conversations: Bruin to Bruin’ is the perfect platform to support that passion and serve our students in the process.”

Students interested in this experience should watch for opportunities communicated by their academic department as information is made available.

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