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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Students Launch Cookbook Created for The Cookery

Staff Writer
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Students Launch Cookbook Created for The Cookery

Cookery_Cookbook_2016_147With the help from a semester-long project by four seniors in Belmont’s Honors Program, Nashville restaurant and ministry The Cookery is launching its first Cookbook. Andrew Hunt, Sarah Ellis, Jeanette Morelan and Jake Saghi created the book under the direction of Dr. Joy JordanLake in the Project LEAD program as one of four teams consulting with Nashville nonprofits.

The official launch of the cookbook will take place Wednesday, April 20 from 6-8 p.m. and will be held at The Cookery. Attendees will hear about the lives of graduates and current members of The Cookery’s program, sample the restaurant’s menu and have the chance to pre-order the cookbook. All proceeds will go to funding the organization’s future projects.

Hunt said the project took more than two months to complete as the team worked with the Cookery to interview current participants and ministry program staff. Senior Evan Davies donated his time and expertise to produce photography of people and facilities at The Cookery. “A program like Project LEAD is great because it allows students the opportunity to live out what we learn in the classroom.  In addition to a conventional academic treatment of the ideas of leadership and teamwork, Project LEAD allows us to go out into the real world and do real work in the community,” he said.

Cookery Cookbook CoverThe Cookery is a culinary training center and a catering cafe for formerly homeless men that
provides training under a Bible-based program. It provides housing and transportation for its
students, Biblical application and study, while actively teaching practical and professional culinary skills. The Cookery sponsors a new group of homeless men as kitchen staff every five to seven months, training them in the culinary trade and providing housing. With catering events and engagements, the program seeks to hone participants’ talents and allow them to earn income for themselves.

“It is incredible to see how this organization has helped local homeless men to learn a trade and find housing. I wish more people knew about this exciting hideaway only a block away from the 12 South bustle and Belmont University,” said Ellis.

 

 

Gwaltney Co-Presents at Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence Conference

Hope Buckner
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Donna Gwaltney, senior human resources generalist, co-presented with Ericka Harney, executive director for the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance, at the Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence Annual Conference at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Their presentation was titled “Leadership for All Ages” and discussed leadership challenges when leading a multi-generational workforce.

The Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence focuses on research and programs related to the study of leadership across all sectors including corporate, public service, education, religion, medicine and non-profit organizations.

Greeks Sing to Raise Money for St. Jude

Staff Writer
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Greeks Sing to Raise Money for St. Jude

Greek Sing was the final event to wrap-up “Greekend,” a shortened celebration of the annual week-long tribute to Greek Life on campus. All proceeds from events throughout Greekend and the ticket sales from Greek Sing went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and overall, the Greek community raised more than $17,000 for the hospital. This is the most the Greeks have ever raised for St. Jude in one weekend.

Greek_Sing phi muIan Miller, a former St. Jude patient, and his family, a Belmont alumnus and sorority member, came to accept the money donated for St. Jude. The family was able to connect the Greekend events to the important ways the students impacted families like their own.

Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development Sarah Rigsby said several changes were made this year to improve the success of the event, including changing the direction of the stage and moving ticket sales online. “We also moved the awards ceremony to after the show instead of the next day so family could be there to celebrate with their student on their achievements. Lastly, all of the groups put a lot of effort into their shows this year, so I think that made the competition even more exciting and enjoyable to watch,” she said.

Greek_Sing_2016_192-X2Six Greek organizations: Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Sigma Tau, Alpha Tau Omega, Phi Kappa Tau, Phi Mu and Kappa Alpha Theta competed for the coveted trophy by performing a 15-minute song and dance to the theme of their choice. Each group changes the lyrics of each song in order to provide shout-outs to different chapters and to Belmont-related “inside jokes.” Phi Mu not only won Greek Sing, but also won Greekend and the Chapter of Excellence award. Second place for Greek Sing was a tie between ATO and PKT.

The two male judges were Belmont music professors, and the two female judges were an alumna judge and a choreographer in Nashville who has previously taught at Belmont. The performances were judged based on ten categories including originality, relevance, integration of video, crowd feedback, theme creativity and polished choreography, among others.  Some of the judges’ comments on Phi Mu’s winning performance were, “the jump rope tricks were impressive,” “great video and theme,” “good transitions between songs and dances,” “strongest group vocally,” “nice harmonies,” “great set change” and “simple, strong, effective and really smooth.”

Faculty and Students Present Research at the Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting

Hope Buckner
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Faculty and Students Present Research at the Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting

Belmont Biology Department faculty members Drs. Darlene Panvini, Nick Ragsdale, Chris Barton, John Niedzwiecki and Jennifer Thomas, along with 20 biology, environmental science, biochemistry & molecular biology and neuroscience majors, recently attended the 77th Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists in Concord, North Carolina.

The Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB) is the largest scientific professional organization in the southeast and include approximately 1,400 members from 280 institutions. The organizations promotes biology through research and holds an annual meeting where faculty and students present findings.

Millward with Dr. Panvini
Millward with Dr. Panvini

Senior Lindsay Millward won first place in the Tri Beta District II oral presentation session and will go to the National Tri-Beta Convention in May. Belmont was also recognized for having the most abstracts submitted.

The following students and faculty gave oral presentations at the conference:

Student Oral Presentations:

  • Vian Pulous, Christopher E. Barton, “Transcriptional Regulation of RGS2 by P53 in Colorectal Cancer Cells”
  • Sara Haney, A. Darlene Panvini, “Effects of Exotic Earthworms and Exotic Plants on Soil Invertebrate Abundance and Diversity”
  • Katlin Stodard, A. Darlene Panvini, “Decomposition of Acer saccharum and Lonicera maackii Leaf Litter in a First Order Stream”
  • Alexandria Jeffers, A. Darlene Panvini, “Water Quality and Macroinvertebrate Diversity in Closed-Canopied and Open-Canopied Sections of an Urban Stream in Nashville, TN”
  • Bryan R. Eoff, Nick Ragsdale, “Caenorhabditis elegans Response to Hyperglycemic and Hypoxic Conditions Post Infection with Staphylococcus aureus”
  • Zara Latif, Nick Ragsdale, “Utilization of Obese Worms to Investigate the Link between Parkinson’s Disease and Obesity”
  • Miranda West, Nick Ragsdale, “Potential Protective Effects of Nicotine in C. elegans Treated with 6-OHDA”
  • Taeler Dahm, Christopher E. Barton, “p53 Mediated Regulation of CCNH in Response to Paclitaxel-Induced Mitotic Stress”
  • Jeff King, Christopher E. Barton, “Effect of p53 Status on S100A13 Expression in Response to Oxidative Stress”
  • Jasmin Mohn, Christopher E. Barton, “Investigation into the Regulation of CST6 by P53 Following Cellular Stress”
  • Nelly Grigorian, Christopher E. Barton, “A Study of the Role of P53 in the Regulation of MARCKS Expression”
  • Tessa Shupe, Lori L McGrew, “The Effects of Bupropion on the Working Memory of Anxious Danio Rerio”
  • Laura Horton, A. Darlene Panvini, “Abundance of Earthworms Relative to Leaf Litter Mass and Exotic Plant Coverage”
  • Ayda Porkar-Rezaeieh, A. Darlene Panvini, “Biomass and Diversity of Earthworms is Affected by Presence of Exotic Shrubs”
  • Walter Burn, A. Darlene Panvini, “Biodiversity of Macroinvertebrates in a First Order Spring-Fed Stream on the Belle Forest Cave Property, Bellevue Tennessee”
  • Danielle Aument, Nick Ragsdale, “Utilization of Alpha-Lipoic Acid as an Antioxidant in the Presence of 6-OHDA”
  • Dora Geving, Nick Ragsdale, “Implications of Parkinson’s Disease in Nematodes Treated with the Insecticide Permethrin”
  • Chase Mackey, Nick Ragsdale, “Circadian Rhythm Dependence of Habituation in C. elegans”
  • Emily K. Deas, Robert T. Grammer, “The Effects of Glucose, Saccharine, Aspartame, and Sucralose on Longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans”
  • Lindsay Millward, A. Darlene Panvini, “Differences in leaf decomposition rates between invasive exotic Lonicera maackii and native Acer saccharum in a temperate deciduous forest”

Faculty Presentations:

  • Jennifer T. Thomas, “A Strategic and Multi-level Approach for Teaching Undergraduates How to Read Scientific Articles”
  • Christopher E. Barton, A. Darlene Panvini, “Promoting Student Well-Being in STEM through Community and Civic Engagement”
  • John H. Niedzwiecki, “Teaching the Value of Sustained Observation: A Multiweek Research Experience in Animal Behavior at the Zoo”
  • Christopher E. Barton, “A Model for Interprofessional Collaboration That Promotes Student Learning and Faculty Development in Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Course”

Belmont Creates Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award, Honors Inclusivity and Diversity

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Creates Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award, Honors Inclusivity and Diversity

In honor of Dr. Fannie Hewlett, Belmont’s first African American graduate, the University created the inaugural Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award and bestowed it upon an undergraduate and graduate student at Wednesday’s annual Scholarship and Awards Day. The award celebrates racial and ethnic diversity by recognizing student courage, leadership and a contribution to a culture of inclusion at Belmont. Its creation is one of the many initiatives from the University’s Welcome Home Team, a committee of faculty, staff and students that explores opportunities and plans strategies to expand racial and ethnic diversity on campus.

Dr. Hewlett grew up in Bay Minette, Alabama, and decided to come to Belmont College, some 420 miles away from her home, after finding a brochure for the school in her mailbox. Though she hadn’t visited the College and didn’t know where Nashville was, she arranged for transportation and embarked on the journey of a lifetime.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and English from Belmont in 1970, Hewlett went on to earn her Master of Arts in Clinical and School Psychology from Fisk University in 1975 and her Doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1990. Most recently, Hewlett served as the interim president at Chattanooga State Community College.

Chair of the Welcome Home Team, Vice President and Chief of Staff Dr. Susan West said the University was honored to recognize Dr. Hewlett through the creation of this award. “The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award celebrates Dr. Hewlett by honoring students who have followed in her footsteps to make powerful change on our campus. It is our privilege to remember the legacy she left at Belmont for many years to come.”

Dr. Hewlett returned to campus in October 2015 for the Welcome Home Team’s inaugural Diversity Week, a week created to celebrate the University’s diversity and inclusivity efforts. While on campus, Hewlett gave a presentation to faculty, staff and students and said, “The people I have met here are the people who have helped me to become what I have become today. For that, I am eternally grateful.”

The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award will continue to be awarded during the University’s Scholarship and Awards Day each year. For West, the creation of this award is a testament to the great things transpiring on Belmont’s campus. “It means we’re acknowledging our past and taking important steps in the areas of racial and ethnic diversity and inclusion. It further recognizes the essential conversations that are happening in our boardrooms, classrooms and dorm rooms, and Welcome Home Team is honored to assist in facilitating those conversations.”

This year’s Dr. Fannie Hewlett Graduate recipient was Tetchi Assamoi, College of Pharmacy. A student leader within her college, Assamoi is also involved in the community as she works with Meharry Medical College to introduce health care careers to high school students. When West presented Assamoi with the award she quoted her nominator saying, “Ms. Assamoi is not only an outstanding student within the College of Pharmacy, but also a caring and giving human being. She has made choices of the types of organizations in which she is affiliated, often choosing organizations that allow her to reach out to others, especially minority populations to get them excited and engaged with professions within the health care field.”

The 2016 undergraduate recipient was Kristoff Hart, Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. Hart has served as a resident assistant, basketball manager, Bruin Recruiter and Tour Guide, among other things across campus, and West said his impact on the Belmont community has been immeasurable. Hart’s nominator quoted him as saying, “I treat everyone the same, from president to executive to student to child. My whole life has been about respect of others and equal treatment, regardless of color, creed, religion and I think that speaks volumes to my need for inclusion.”

 

Belmont University College of Pharmacy Finds Success on “Match Day”

Hope Buckner
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Belmont University College of Pharmacy Finds Success on “Match Day”

Student pharmacists and alumni claim 32 positions across the U.S.

“Match Day,” the highly anticipated moment when Belmont’s College of Pharmacy soon-to-be-graduates and alumni learn where they’ll spend the next year honing their skills and talents, was a successful day at Belmont as 32 student pharmacists and alumni heard of their acceptance to competitive residency positions across the country. About 3,000 residencies were offered for this year’s American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists match, far fewer than the number of student pharmacists desiring a position.

College of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Phil Johnston said, “Belmont College of Pharmacy has always had an impressive match rate, which can be attributed to enhanced student awareness of career goals and faculty mentoring. It was a happy week to celebrate the success of our students and their futures.  Congratulations to the classes of 2015 and 2016.”

Graduates selected for first-year residencies include Sarah Ayers (Jackson-Madison County Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee), Candace Beam (VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare in Nashville, Tennessee), Bailey Bolten (Erlanger Health Systems in Chattanooga, Tennessee), Tyler Casey (Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee), Ricky Church (Memorial Healthcare System in Chattanooga, Tennessee), Jennifer Collins (University of Chicago Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois), Scott Denno (Tennessee Department of Mental Health in Nashville, Tennessee), Fernando Diggs (Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama), Meredith Ervin (Birmingham VA Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama), Chelsea Goodman (Ephriam McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville, Kentucky), Sarah Hardeman (The Medical Center, Columbus Regional in Columbus, Georgia), Shelby Hood (Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee), Joe Huenecke (University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio), Michelle Kirchbaum (Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama), Jocelyn Mason (University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota), Quyen Nguyen (Cookeville Regional Hospital in Cookeville, Tennessee), Frederick O’Neal (Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican in Henderson, Nevada), Emily Russell (James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee), Kristen Sherlin (University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky), Jennifer Sposito (Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana), Sara Thompson (VA Caribbean Health Care System in San Juan, Puerto Rico), Erin Todd (Tristar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee), Alexander Tu (National Association of Community Drug Stores), Duy Vu (Dekalb Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia), Danielle Walker (Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee), Katie Wickler (Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee) and Haley Willett (Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky).

Additionally, of the 22 student pharmacists who matched last spring, five are going on to a second-year residency. Drs. Emily Doss, Meghan Duquette, Elizabeth Jasper, Jocelyn Mason and Nilam Patel will be pursuing second-year residencies in internal medicine, psychiatry (2), infectious disease and cardiology, respectively.

First-year pharmacy residencies provide post-PharmD training in health systems, managed care and community settings, while second-year residencies provide advanced training in a focused area of patient care.

Belmont Celebrates Achievement with Scholarship and Awards Day

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Celebrates Achievement with Scholarship and Awards Day

Belmont’s highest achieving students and faculty were honored for their commitment to the University’s mission and dedication to scholarship, service and leadership at the University’s Scholarship and Awards Day convocation in the Massey Performing Arts Center on Wednesday. Assistant Professor of Asian Studies and Chinese Language Dr. Qingjun Li, the 2014-15 Chaney Distinguished Professor, gave the ceremony’s Honors Address and discussed the power of one in making a difference. Quoting Mother Theresa and a Chinese proverb, Li encouraged attendees to intentionally care for others throughout their communities and “bring light where it scholarship awards-117-X2wasn’t before.”

The presentation of the annual John Williams Heart of Belmont Award is greatly anticipated each year as one student is recognized for their commitment to Belmont’s values including innovation, persistence, advocacy for change, community development and service. The 2016 recipient, Samantha Hubner, is an honors, political science student who chose Belmont because of its emphasis on both high scholastic achievement and high community involvement. With an internship that will take her overseas this summer, Hubner will further develop her passions surrounding international affairs and global relations.

Other students honored in Wednesday’s ceremony included:

The Williams-Murray First Year Writing Awards: Gregory Wittenberg (“The People Behind the Witch”) and Kaitlin Braile (“This Too Shall Pass”)

The Alfred Leland Crabb Award: Robert Kessler (“Gnosticism, Orthodoxy, and the Self”) and Taylor Herald (“Anger as the Mother-Tongue and Communicative Discourse of Feminist Literary Theory”)

The Stacy Awalt Writing Award: Tyler DeMunbrun (“Nietzsche and Solitude”)

The Annette Sisson First Year Writing Award: Courtney Potter (“Harry Potter and Feminism; My Apathy is Not Enough”)

The Lumos Travel Award: Iris Chiang (Auroville, India), Haley Culpepper (Accra, Ghana), Mackenzie Hartfield (Delhi, India), Samantha Hubner (Rabat, Morocco), Ashley Virgin (Bethlehem, Israel) and Savannah Weeks (Managua, Nicaragua)

The First Year Award, Leadership: Sean Grossnickle (international business and finance double major, French and religion & the arts double minor)

scholarship awards-153-X2The Second Year Award, Leadership: Missy Martin (environmental science and social entrepreneurship double major, public relations, social issues concentration, minor)

The Third Year Award, Leadership: Katie Bays (musical theatre major, dance and business administration double minor)

The Fourth Year Award, Leadership: Jeanette Morelan (social entrepreneurship and mass communication double major)

Dr. Fannie Hewlett Undergraduate Award: Kristoff Hart (music business major)

Dr. Fannie Hewlett Graduate Award: Tetchi Assamoi (pharmacy)

In addition to student award winners, a number of awards were given to faculty members. The Christian Scholarship Award honors faculty scholarship that engages the Christian intellectual tradition and advances the scholarly conversation between Christian faith and learning. This year’s recipient was Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Melanie Walton.

The Leadership in Christian Service Award honors faculty who provide leadership to a new initiative or an established Christian organization that serves those in need. This year’s recipient was Dr. Rich Tiner, professor of media studies.

An award created last year, The Faculty Award for Scholarship, recognizes a faculty member for outstanding intellectual and creative contributions of discovery, integration, application or teaching. This year’s recipient was Professor Physical Therapy Dr. Michael Voight.

scholarship awards-187-X2Dr. Marieta Velikova, Massey College of Business, was named the 2015-16 Chaney Distinguished Professor. The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, determined on the basis of superior teaching, is presented each year to a faculty member who best represents the vision of the university to be a “premier teaching institution.”

Dr. Daniel Biles, College of Sciences and Mathematics, was awarded the 2015-16 Presidential Faculty Achievement Award. The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award is presented each year to a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to student life outside the classroom. The award honors and recognizes excellence in faculty-student relationships, special abilities in meeting student needs – academic, personal and professional – and symbolizes Belmont University’s commitment to being a student-centered institution.

Click here for additional photos from the event.

Bado Earns Special Commendation from Tennessee Senator Ken Yager

Hope Buckner
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Bado Earns Special Commendation from Tennessee Senator Ken Yager

Kirk Bado HeadshotBelmont junior Kirk Bado has taken Belmont’s mission to “engage and transform the world” to the State Capitol this semester, recently earning special commendation from the Senate.

Kirk, a politics and public law major, is interning for Senator Ken Yager from Tennessee’s 12th district. Sen. Yager took note of Kirk’s work and filed a Senate Resolution honoring him for his contributions not only to the Belmont community but to the state.

During his presentation on the Senate floor session, the senator detailed how Kirk created and presented a proposal for a substantial grant for a town in his district. Combining skills he learned from the classroom and his internship, Kirk was able to secure the funds necessary for the town on his own.

“The presentation for Oliver Springs was a great culmination of everything I learned from presenting in my political science classes and learning how the state works here,” Kirk said.

The Resolution goes on to commend Kirk for his extra-curriculars at Belmont saying he has “surpassed all criteria that define a devoted and conscience legislative intern and has performed his many duties with extraordinary insight and rare decorum.”

“I’m very thankful for Senator Yager’s appreciation, Dr. Vaughn May for preparing me for this and for Belmont for allowing me this opportunity,” Kirk said.

Bullington Receives Fulbright-Terra Foundation Award

Hope Buckner
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Bullington Receives Fulbright-Terra Foundation Award

judyChair of the Art Department Dr. Judy Bullington recently received the 2017 Fulbright-Terra Foundation Award in the History of American Art. In addition to conducting research on her topic, “Likeness & Emblems in Early American Portraiture; Garden Motifs in 18th C. Transatlantic Art,” Bullington will be teaching a course at St. Andrews University in Scotland.

Bullington’s project will analyze garden & landscape motifs as a means of self-fashioning in ca. 1740-1840 portraits of merchants, ministers, landowners, women, families and expands on current scholarship through a study of the transatlantic practices of artists and plantsmen who ordered nature.

 

Trading Club Secures Sixth Place in TVA Portfolio Management Competition

April Hefner
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Trading Club Secures Sixth Place in TVA Portfolio Management Competition

The Belmont Trading Club achieved the sixth best performance among 24 universities in the Tennessee Valley Authority portfolio management competition. Managing over $600,000, the team’s 2015 performance was more the four percent better than the S&P 500. The team–led by Daniel Mittuch, Emily Weissmann, Matt Pellettiere and Carson Fears–was awarded $5,400 for its contribution to growing the TVA’s decommissioned asset fund.

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