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 Occupational Therapy Graduate Featured in Today in OT

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Occupational Therapy Graduate Featured in Today in OT

Dr. Amanda Hassen, a 2015 graduate of Belmont University’s School of Occupational Therapy, was featured in a recent article in Today in OT for her work in teaching swimming lessons to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The effort was part of Hassen’s experiential component as a third-year doctoral student in occupational therapy that integrated curricular themes of clinical excellence, scholarship, service and leadership.

Hassen completed her experiential component at Dolphin Aquatics, a nonprofit organization in Nashville that has been teaching swimming to children and adults with special needs for 12 years. Using her background as a swim coach and OT, Hassen designed ’Phins, a sensory-based swim program tailored for children with ASD that continues today.

After graduating in May, Hassen moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where she was offered a job in a private OT practice. She has begun the process to develop a similar program in her new location.

Jenkins Wins National Pandemic Survival Tournament

Hope Buckner
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Jenkins Wins National Pandemic Survival Tournament

Kenneth Jenkins, a Belmont University Doctorate of Physical Therapy student, recently won the national Pandemic Survival tournament at a gaming convention in Indianapolis for board and card games.

A cooperative board game where players assume the roles of Center for Disease Control specialists working together to cure diseases spreading across the globe, the Survival tournament pits teams playing the same game against each other. The winner is the first team (of two participants) with all four cures.

Jenkins’s win secured he and his teammate a trip to Essen, Germany for Spieltage, the European equivalent to GenCon. While there, the duo will competing against national champions from Italy, Canada, France, among other countries, for the world championships.

Alumna Trisha Yearwood Receives ASCAP Voice of Music Award, Walk of Fame Star

Hope Buckner
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Alumna Trisha Yearwood Receives ASCAP Voice of Music Award, Walk of Fame Star

Belmont alumnus Trisha Yearwood will be presented with ASCAP’s Voice of Music Award at the organization’s 53rd Country Music Awards, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2 at Nashville’s Omni Hotel.

The award, presented to “songwriters and artists whose music gives voice to the spirit of a generation,” has been presented to many artists through the years including Amy Grant, Kenny Chesney and George Strait, among others.

But Yearwood’s recent accomplishments don’t stop there. The Music City Walk of Fame will soon be home to two new names – Yearwood and her husband, Garth Brooks – after an induction ceremony on Sept. 10 to honor the duo and their contributions to Nashville and the industry.

In an article recently published by the Tennessean, Mayor Karl Dean is quoted as saying, “Trisha and Garth are two great artists who represent what makes Nashville special. They are musicians. They are entrepreneurs. And they are generous community advocates. The way they care about Nashville is as inspiring as their music. Garth stood strong with the city during the 2010 flood recovery, and we will never forget that.”

With successful hits like “She’s in Love With the Boy,” “XXX’s and OOO’s” and “How Do I Live,” Yearwood is a multiple award-winning artist with an impressive 12 million albums sold.

 

 

Student Scientists Agh and Rice Research at National Laboratory

Staff Writer
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Student Scientists Agh and Rice Research at National Laboratory

Rising senior chemistry major Ryan Agh spent ten weeks working on the chemical synthesis of certain enzymes, to create an amino acid analog that contains heavy atoms, so that his classmate, rising junior biology major Ambrose Rice, would be able to incorporate them into proteins. The students’ passion for this concept, one in which some may find difficult to comprehend, set them apart from other students interested in working under Belmont Chemistry Professor Dr. Duane Hatch at the Department of Energy’s Visiting Faculty Program. At the culmination of the summer, the duo presented their research at the 15th Annual Los Alamos National Laboratory Student Symposium, where Agh took home first place for his poster (pictured above).

The students explained the reasoning for their research – to expand the unnatural, synthetic amino acid tool box for scientists to further explore protein structure and function. The heavy, or electron dense, atom helps instruments to better “see” the protein structure and its function. There are a number of applications that immediately affect the general public, but the main purpose of this project was to aid scientists and industry, overall.

Agh’s success at the symposium is one the Belmont community can take pride in. “I think I stood out because I was passionate and knew my research very well. I was confident in my abilities as a chemist, and I think that showed through my presentation. To win, it felt like I showed that even a kid from a small chemistry and physics department can be someone to contend with in a scientific competition,” said Agh. “People don’t think of chemistry or research when they think of Belmont, but I feel like this shows that Belmont has an amazing chemistry program and there are plenty of amazing opportunities for us here.”

Although the students experienced a few adventures along the way including white water rafting and living in their first apartment, Rice said they also realized that work takes dedication and a strong work ethic. “I quickly discovered that ten weeks is not enough time to complete a research project, and sometimes your projects or ideas do not work,” said Rice. “I also learned that science is not a 9-5 job – you finish when you finish. That may mean that you may have to come in early or leave late, but the results will be worth it in the end.”

For Agh, one of the most meaningful parts of the summer was successfully completing experiments. “My most memorable moment was when I first successfully used the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), and hit a spectrum that even Dr. Hatch was proud of. That meant not only that I used the instrument correctly, but also that my synthesis formed the correct product, and I purified it well by myself!” said Agh.

Both students have plans to return to Los Alamos National Lab before they start their journey into graduate and medical school, working toward PhDs. Agh went on to say he wants to spend time traveling after graduation before finishing school, but would love to teach and research at a school like Belmont. “I think the ability to inspire and excite young minds to pursue a career in science would be the most rewarding career I could have,” he said.

Al-Shamma Co-Facilitates Panel at Theatre Education Conference

Hope Buckner
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James Al-ShammaJames Al-Shamma, assistant professor of theatre, co-facilitated a panel on Middle Eastern and Middle-Eastern-American theatre and performance at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Annual Conference in Montréal on August 1.

As part of the panel, Al-Shamma presented a paper titled, “The Birth of Modern Iraqi Theatre: Church Drama in Mosul in the Late Nineteenth Century,” co-authored with Amir Al-Azraki of the University of Waterloo.

Belmont Law School Alumna Receives 2015 Writing Award

Hope Buckner
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PatPatty Whitehead, a recent graduate of the Belmont University College of Law, was recently named as the winner of the 2015 Jon E. Hastings Memorial Award Writing Competition, sponsored by the Tennessee Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section.

The event is a juried competition for the best legal writing on a topic of Tennessee or federal environmental law and is open to law students enrolled in a Tennessee law school. Whitehead’s paper “Opportunities for Environmental Justice Review in Title V Permits Under the Tennessee Air Quality Act” addressed disproportionate air quality among minority and low-income communities.

The competition is sponsored by the Environmental Law Section in memory of Jon Hastings, one of the founding members of the section.

Belmont’s Alpha Tau Omega Chapter Accepts Highest National Award

Hope Buckner
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Belmont’s Alpha Tau Omega Chapter Accepts Highest National Award

Belmont’s Iota Phi chapter of Alpha Tau Omega accepted the organization’s highest national award, Top Chapter, at ATO’s 150th Anniversary Celebration Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 8. The chapter also received the Gold Award in Communications Excellence and their fifteenth True Merit honor.

Established in 1969 and given to chapters that meet a high standard in philanthropy, recruitment, brotherhood and scholarship, the True Merit Award is given based on an annual report detailing the year’s accomplishments that is compiled by the chapter. Iota Phi has been awarded the distinction for each of the fifteen years since its chartering. The Communications Excellence award is given to chapters who excel in internal and external communications systems. Belmont received Gold for their use of social media, alumni and parent newsletters and coverage by local news outlets.

The Top Chapter Award is given annually to the single ATO chapter displaying the highest chapter-wide standards. A panel of judges uses the chapters’ Annual Reports to pick their choice for this prestigious award, and the panel then uses each judge’s individual pick to select the winner.

Chapter President and event attendee Robert Storrow said, “Accepting this award was incredibly overwhelming. Not only was winning top chapter a fulfillment of a 15-year vision forged by our founding fathers, but it represented all the never-ending effort so many brothers put forth to achieve such recognition.”

The chapter’s Annual Report described a number of milestones including raising more than $36,000 for their local philanthropy, Blood:Water Mission, a record-breaking total for Belmont Greek Life. Raised by the hosting of four signature events, chapter members also served a total of 11,240 community service hours throughout the past year. In both fall and spring recruitment, Iota Phi achieved record totals for new members using a values-based recruitment model.

A delegation of ten undergraduate chapter members and alumnus Jon Burt were in attendance. The weekend included leadership seminars, networking opportunities and a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo and ended with the annual Awards Banquet.

 

 

Alumnus Inducted into Up With People Songwriters Hall of Fame

Hope Buckner
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L to R: Linda Cates with her husband, Bill
L to R: Linda Cates with her husband, Bill

Bill Cates, a 1971 Belmont alumnus, was recently inducted into the Up With People Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s 50th reunion celebration in Orlando, Florida.

Before finishing his degree at Belmont in, Bill traveled with the newly-formed cast of Sing Out ’66, a musical demonstration that performed across the globe and was eventually re-branded as Up With People.

Cates had been a part of Nashville’s songwriting mill of the ’60s, signed by the legendary Buddy Killen of Tree Publishing. After Sing Out ’66 came through Nashville, 600 Middle Tennesseans came together to write and produce their own show in Belmont’s gymnasium. Cates and friends directed and led the production of Sing Out South and traveled all over Tennessee sparking other Sing Outs. The song “Do You Really Care,” now in the Baptist Hymnal, was the final tune in the show and became part of  “Good News,” a musical created for church groups.

The next summer, Cates joined the international cast to write and direct their show. He contributed on several of the show’s most loved and long lasting tunes like “Morning of Time,” “The Wonder of It All” and “With Everything Changing.” Paul Colwell, one of the creators of UWP, said at the induction, “He writes with a warmth and a passion and his tunes are always memorable.”

Alumna Published in Forensic Science Review

Staff Writer
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Achievers.AliFosterBelmont College of Pharmacy 2012 alumna Dr. Ali Foster’s “Metabolism and Disposition of Prescription Opioids” was recently published in Forensic Science Review.

Dr. Foster is a Clinical Scientist with Aegis Sciences Corporation in Nashville.

Belmont Receives $95,000 Grant to Support Success of Student Veterans

April Hefner
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Belmont Receives $95,000 Grant to Support Success of Student Veterans

In an announcement today from Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Belmont University was awarded a $95,000 Tennessee Veteran Reconnect Grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). The program is designed “to accelerate the success of veterans already enrolled on Tennessee campuses and create favorable conditions to recruit new student veterans. Ultimately, it is the goal of this program that Tennessee be the premier state in the nation for student veteran success.”

“We’re thrilled to have been awarded the Veteran Reconnect funding so that we can build capacity to support our student veterans,” said Dr. Mimi Barnard, Belmont’s associate provost for interdisciplinary studies and global education who will serve as the grant’s project director. “Our faculty and staff appreciate the sacrifices and commitments made by those who serve in the armed forces, and this grant will allow us to create programming and services that will assist them as they pursue degrees that lead to meaningful careers, stronger communities and a more competitive Tennessee.”

The $95,000 grant Belmont received is part of a $1 million award from THEC to 11 community colleges and public and private universities across the state. Since Belmont’s Yellow Ribbon Program was implemented in 2010, student veteran enrollment has nearly quadrupled, and military family enrollment has more than doubled. Belmont participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program at the highest level, matching the remaining tuition and mandatory fees in full that are not covered  by the Post 9/11 benefit for all undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs.

In Belmont’s grant proposal, four areas were identified in which the University seeks to focus additional attention and resources: Learning Support, Community Building, Career Advancement and Communication to Internal and External Stakeholders. The Belmont Veteran Reconnect Initiative will provide a series of services, events and programs that will accelerate the success of veterans already enrolled and create favorable conditions to recruit new student veterans. For example, one part of the initiative, “Operation Graduate,” offers a comprehensive curriculum plan that is designed for student success within the parameters of the individual’s major, time, benefits, etc. and would include academic coaching with a mentor. In addition, a special Bruin Vet Orientation and Welcome Dinner is planned for student veterans and their families during the University’s Welcome Week this fall. A signature and unique component of Belmont’s Veteran Reconnect Program is a tailored convocation series to provide relevant, compelling programming specific to the assimilation needs of returning service members.

Other colleges and universities receiving funding included Chattanooga State Community College, Columbia State Community College, East Tennessee State University, Jackson State Community College, Lipscomb University, Maryville College, Middle Tennessee State University, Northeast State Community College, University of Memphis and Volunteer State Community College. The full press release from Governor Haslam’s office can be found here.

About the Tennessee Higher Education Commission
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission is the state’s coordinating agency for higher education. Guided by the Public Agenda for Tennessee Higher Education, THEC oversees an array of finance, academic, research and consumer protection initiatives that promote student success and support the State’s completion agenda for postsecondary education. THEC actively seeks to develop policy recommendations, programmatic initiatives, and partnerships that increase educational attainment in the state while improving higher education access and success for all Tennesseans.

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