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 Celebrates Achievement with Scholarship and Awards Day

Paul Chenoweth
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Belmont Celebrates Achievement with Scholarship and Awards Day

During Wednesday’s Scholarship and Awards Day convocation in the Massey Performing Arts Center, Belmont’s top students and faculty were honored for their commitment to the University’s mission and dedication to scholarship, service and leadership. Chemistry Professor Dr. Kim Daus, the 2013-14 Chaney Distinguished Professor, gave the ceremony’s Honors Address and discussed heroes and how they improve our lives. Citing a recent study that showed the prevalence of heroes closely related to members of Generation Next, Daus charged attendees to make a difference in the lives of others and left the audience with lyrics from a Harry Chapin song, one of Daus’s self-proclaimed heroes. “Now if a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man’s life could be worth, I wonder what would happen to this world.”

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 2015 recipient, Tina Sharma, is a double major studying applied discrete mathematics and economics and when she isn’t working on assignments, completing duties associated with her leadership roles or internships, Tina said her time at Belmont has been “unconditionally poured into working as a community activist.”

Other students honored in Wednesday’s ceremony included:

The Williams-Murray First Year Writing Awards: Max Hayden (“Detroit: America’s Phoenix”) and Lindsey Knapp (“When Home Becomes Hopeless: The Burden of Domesticity in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie””)

The Alfred Leland Crabb Award: Nikki Sneed (“Clytemnestra as Femme Fatale”)

The Stacy Awalt Writing Award: Colin Bodayle

The Annette Sisson First Year Writing Award: Cassandra Riel (“Combatting American Parochialism”)

The Lumos Travel Award: Morgan Fisher (South Africa), Jacob Jeran (Tanzania) and Jeanette Moreland (South Africa)

The First Year Award, Leadership: David Gal-Chis (physics major through the Honors Program)

The Second Year Award, Leadership: Austin DeMaagd (biology major, chemistry minor with pre-med emphasis)

The Third Year Award, Leadership: Maggie Fincher (entrepreneurship major)

The Fourth Year Award, Leadership: Christi Snider (double major in social work and corporate communications)

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In addition to student award winners, a number of awards were given to faculty members. Last year’s newly created 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 Dr. Jeffery Ames, College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The Leadership in Christian Service Award, a second award created last year, 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. Robbie Pinter, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

This year’s inaugural award, 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 Dr. Judy Bullington, College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Dr. Qingjun (Joan) Li, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, was named the 2014-15 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.”

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Dr. Ben Curtis, College of Theology and Christian Ministry, was awarded the 2014-15 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.

Symposium Tackles Internet Privacy Protection

Paul Chenoweth
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Symposium Tackles Internet Privacy Protection

Patrick Klepek, senior reporter with gaming news and opinion site Kotaku, kicked off a timely symposium Tuesday focused on internet privacy and social networks. Speaking on the topic “Protecting Yourself in a World without Privacy,” Klepek noted, “The world we live in now is one in which slowly over time we have ceded more and more of our privacy.”

Klepek reiterated throughout his presentation that users need to be more responsible for protecting themselves and their information, starting with creating more demanding passwords. He cited a recent study that showed 10 of the most common passwords, including “12345,” “password” “baseball” and “qwerty.” “All of your passwords are terrible,” he said. “We all know what we probably should be doing with passwords, but we don’t.”

The rise in GPS-enabled applications also can cause privacy issues as it makes location tracking possible, as pointed out by many websites that focus on raising awareness about over sharing of personal information.

Another negative aspect of readily available public information and contact on the internet is the rise in bullying through threatening and often anonymous revelations on social media. “The Internet has allowed escalation of this kind of harassment where you can do a lot of damage without incurring any personal consequences.”

Klepek concluded, “What we want to do is become more consciously aware of what we’re leaving out there and create more barriers for our information. We can’t guarantee anything as there’s only so much you can do, but it’s incumbent on all of us to be aware.”

Internet symposiumAssistant Professor of Public Relations Kevin Trowbridge moderated a student-led panel discussion for the second half of the event, opening the conversation by noting that  recent studies indicate that “44 percent of millennials don’t worry about privacy at all” in the digital age. That’s a statistic that needs to change, according to the panelists.

Senior public relations management major Ryan Bukowski recounted how his parents recently faced an attempted fraud when they opened their computer and saw a bogus message that looked like it was from their service provider. “It said they needed to call a phone number, but when my mom called, a technician was telling how much it would cost to ‘fix’ her computer.”

The four students also emphasized the advantages of social media, particularly in promoting causes and brands.

Senior social entrepreneurship major Kramer Deans said, “Social media presence is a great way to get your name out there… it’s awesome to see how far a message can really go.”

Sophomore public relations major Emily Gainer agreed, noting that “Having a solid foundation online is a good tactic when applying for a job because it sets you apart.”

“You need to have an outlet to express who you are and showcase your skills and abilities,” added junior public relations major Haley Hall. “Having a social media presence is a unique way to do that. You have control of the image you send out to everyone, whether it be potential employers or friends and families. It’s important to create that image.”

Students STAND Behind Bars for Charity

Paul Chenoweth
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Students STAND Behind Bars for Charity

Students from all areas of campus came together Thursday, April 9, to raise money and awareness for causes close to their hearts. Belmont’s International Justice Mission (IJM) and Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) chapters set up camp underneath the Bell Tower for a day full of awareness and change.

News.JailbreakPassersby may have wondered why students were dressed in funny clothing, running around and “capturing” their friends to throw them into a makeshift jail. The answer? Jailbreak – an annual event where ATO members raise money for their philanthropy, Blood: Water Mission, by “placing a bounty,” or pledging a dollar amount to have friends put in their jail by member deputies. The event also included a cook-out and musical performances from Belmont musicians Katherine Munoz, Haylee Page, Monica Moser, Sawyer, Chip Colon, Michael D’Errico and Kiya Lacey.

ATO raised more than $6,000 through the participation of more than 500 people. A representative from the national fraternity’s headquarters filmed the event to be used for ATO Roadshow, an outlet that showcases worthy chapter events to ATO members on a national level. Jailbreak’s video will be shown to chapters at national conventions and leadership seminars, as well as on the fraternity’s website.

“All of our philanthropy events are open to the Belmont community, but this year our goal was to have the bands incite more of a welcomed feeling for everyone. I think events like JailBreak show people that a group of college men are capable of throwing an incredibly successful event for something bigger than themselves… Not many organizations have the capacity to have such an impact on the community they are present in,” said Chapter President Robert Storrow.

For information on Belmont’s ATO chapter, click here.

Around the corner from ATO’s makeshift jail, event attendees found five giant wooden letters, spelling out “STAND,” and many students who looked like they had not slept all night, while still maintaining a smile from ear to ear. IJM‘s worldwide Stand 4 Freedom event was created to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking in the U.S. and all over the world. Students stand for 24 hours straight for the victims of human trafficking and sign petitions to be sent to the IJM headquarters. IJM then collects all of the signatures from every campus across the nation who participated and delivers them to Congress.

The first petition is the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015, which would enact proven anti-slavery models on a worldwide scale: freeing millions of families and fixing whole justice systems. The second petition was for the United Nations, and it calls for help to protect the poor against everyday violence. This petition asks Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to include ending everyday violence efforts in the 2015 sustainable development goals so that protection from violence for the poor and strengthening the justice systems will be a priority.

While not every attendee stood the whole day, those who did experienced a new appreciation for the cause. STAND kicked off with a worship service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, with a small group praying for the individuals who are currently suffering and later included kickball, four square and hide and seek during the early morning hours. When dawn arrived, others came to learn about IJM, sign the petition and enjoy free donuts and henna tattoos. By 7 p.m. Thursday night, IJM received more than 600 signatures on the petition.

“We had so many students come out and stand with us that had no idea how big of a problem human trafficking is until coming to learn more about the event… It is so cool to see hearts moved for this issue because that is the purpose of the event: awareness!” said IJM Chapter President Breanna Adams. “I think STAND helped Belmont’s community by connecting with ATO because we were able to partner Greek and non Greek, and it just brought a lot of diversity to the area and educated so many more people.”

For information on how to be involved with IJM at Belmont, click here.

College of Law Announces Strong Employment Rate for Class of 2014

Paul Chenoweth
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College of Law Announces Strong Employment Rate for Class of 2014

Charter class career placement, 85.7 percent, exceeds current national average

Belmont University College of Law’s charter class continues to blaze an impressive trail for the program, with an overall employment rate of 85.7 percent for the Class of 2014. This rate bests the most recent national average, as compiled by the National Association of Legal Professionals (NALP), which shows an overall employment of 84.5 percent for the most recently available national rate.

Jaz BoonCollege of Law Dean Judge Alberto Gonzales said, “When Belmont announced it was starting a law school, we made it clear that we believe a vital element of the Belmont Law education involved preparing our students for roles as community leaders and change agents. Seeing such impressive employment numbers, particularly from the College’s charter graduating class, bodes well that our mission is being accomplished.”

Jaz Boon, a member of the charter class, is currently working as a judicial law clerk for the Tennessee Court of Appeals, noted the program offered numerous experiences that paved the way for his position now and future career. “Professor [Ian] Bourgoine’s Legal Writing course prepared me for my clerkship by helping me understand how the pieces of a legal argument fit together. Further, my experience writing briefs and arguing on Moot Court gave me some insight into what is important to an appellate judge. Those two experiences, along with Belmont Law’s externship program where I gained valuable hands-on experience with the Court of Appeals, were tremendous tools to prepare me for my clerkship.”

Daniel PattenOf the 119 Class of 2014 graduates, 102 are employed, with 78 of the positions listed “bar admission required” (i.e. license to practice law) and 16 of the positions noted as “JD advantage.” From the class, 46.1 percent are employed in law firms, and 24.5 percent in government, which includes judicial clerkships, administrative or executive branch agencies, and prosecutors. Another 25.6 percent of graduates are employed in business, which includes in-house legal counsel and management, and 2.9 percent are employed in public interest/civil legal services positions.

Daniel Patten, a Belmont Law charter class member, is employed as an associate (healthcare) with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. “Completing Belmont’s Health Law Certificate was excellent preparation for my career,” he said. “The health courses and practicums not only provided a comprehensive legal and business foundation of the healthcare industry but also helped me develop practical skills that I use in my practice on a daily basis.”

Music Row Produces More Than CDs and EPs: Belmont’s Ocean Way Studio Records Award-Winning Video Game Scores

Paul Chenoweth
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Music Row Produces More Than CDs and EPs: Belmont’s Ocean Way Studio Records Award-Winning Video Game Scores

Ocean WayWhile Music Row is well known for its production of albums, hit singles and award-winning collaborations, neighbors can expect to hear more sounds of theatrical scores as Belmont’s Ocean Way Nashville becomes the premiere spot for video game score production. Nashville is no longer home to just country music stars and frequent live shows – the video game scoring industry has taken a liking to Music City and with Ocean Way at the helm, the recordings and their awards continue to stack up.

Since its purchase by Belmont University in 2001, Ocean Way Nashville has become a leader in the music production industry, both locally and globally, and in recent years, the studio has produced a number of scores for popular games that have gone on to accumulate a number of national recognitions. At the 2014 GANG (Game Audio Network Guild) Awards, “The Last of Us,” a best-selling game with score composed by Gustavo Santaoello and recorded at Ocean Way, won Best Audio. In March 2014, the studio scored “Dragon Age Inquisition” by famed composer Trevor Morris, which went on to win the 2015 D.I.C.E. Awards Game of the Year.

Director of Belmont’s Ocean Way Studios Patrick McMakin said media music – music recorded for film, television, video games, etc. – is quickly becoming a large part of the music business and because of that, Ocean Way has opened its doors to a diverse set of projects. Through this diversification, McMakin said the studio has had the opportunity to learn skills and techniques that weren’t preciously part of their day to day. “It’s made us better, because the scores are fairly large in size, and we’re working with top level composers who work with orchestra all over the world. The knowledge they have brought in our doors has allowed us to improve every aspect of how we operate Studio A technically.”

Past Ocean Way Client Services / Assistant Engineer and Belmont alumni Nick Spezia would agree. Spezia said the opportunity to have a hand in recording diverse projects like an orchestral game score allowed him to think critically, solve unique problems and creatively engineer a final product. “Working on these sessions has been a continual learning process. I’d like to think that one of my biggest roles is finding ways to accommodate everything from the first initial point of contact, through final delivery of assets. I’ve also learned that despite planning everything in immense detail well in advance of these sessions, I still have to think on my feet.” Spezia said.

With a city deeply rooted in music, production and the art of creativity, McMakin said Nashville’s music business will have to adapt based on the changes facing the industry. Online downloads, file sharing and streaming have re-set the stage for Music City and as one of Nashville’s premiere studios,  Ocean Way is eager to jump into the change. “It’s about survival. It’s about keeping our existing assets, both human and physical, vital and healthy,” McMakin said.

McMakin also said he is proud of the way the introduction to media music has put Belmont’s Ocean Way on the map – far beyond Music Row and Nashville. “As a studio, and for our town, we’re beginning to compete on a global stage. There are scoring studios all over the world…putting us into that sort of competition elevates us all.”

As a commercial studio that doubles as a large learning lab for Belmont’s Curb College music business students, this recognition is key. “Not only do students have the opportunity to help with setups of these large orchestra sessions, but also as Ocean Way Nashville’s name is more widely recognized, so will Belmont’s. Our goal is to constantly leverage Ocean Way for the benefit of our graduates as well as our current students,” McMakin said.

For more information on Ocean Way and its projects, visit their new website here.

Belmont Honored as Hall of Fame Member in Nashville’s Workplace Challenge

Paul Chenoweth
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Challenge recognizes companies for being green, healthy and involved in the community 

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Nashville’s Mayor Karl Dean recently honored Belmont University through induction into the Mayor’s Workplace Challenge Hall of Fame, an initiative to recognize companies who have implemented continued improvements since its 2012 start. The third round of the Workplace Challenge concluded in March with 235 companies participating representing more than 105,000 employees in Nashville.

Focusing on three areas that contribute to a high quality of workplace life, the Hall of Fame recognized 20 companies who have excelled in being green, healthy and involved throughout the Nashville community. The first three-tiered challenge of its kind in the country, other cities have begun replicating the initiative to recognize top businesses.

“I applaud the continued success of these workplaces in being environmentally friendly, promoting healthy choices among its employees and encouraging a culture of service through volunteerism,” Mayor Dean said. “The responses to the Workplace Challenge continue to be impressive and further exemplify why Nashville is such a great city to live and work.”

In addition to the Hall of Fame recognition, Belmont also received Platinum recognition for the Community Involvement and Health areas and a Gold recognition for the Green area for 2014. In 2013, Belmont was recognized as a Gold recipient for the Community Involvement and Green areas.

For more information on the Mayor’s Workplace Challenge, click here.

Bennett Receives Local and National Recognition, Participates in Panel and Delivers Key Note Address

Paul Chenoweth
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Bennett Receives Local and National Recognition, Participates in Panel and Delivers Key Note Address

Professor of Media Studies Dr. Sybril Bennett recently participated on a panel, the first in a series entitled “A Conversation about Color.” The event, “How Media Can Shape Perceptions on Civil Injustice, Crime and Punishment,” was held at the John Seigenthaler First Amendment Center.

Other panelists included award-winning journalist and retired former Columnist for The Tennessean Dwight Lewis and the Director of the Vanderbilt University Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center and author of “Rendered Invisible” and “The Race is Not Given” Dr. Frank Dobson, Jr. The panel was moderated by WTNTribuneRadio COO and Tennessee State University Journalism Professor Harriet Vaughan-Wallace. The event was organized by the Nashville chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Belmont’s Media Relations Director for Women’s Sports Kenisha Rhone serves as chapter secretary and was on the panel’s organizing committee.

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Nationally, Bennett was recently tapped by Emerson College in Boston as one of three external reviewers for the Journalism Department.

Closer to home, Bennett returned to Volunteer State Community College where she received her first post secondary teaching assignment in 1995.  She was the keynote speaker for the Women’s History Tea sponsored by the Office of Student Life and Diversity Initiatives.

Belmont ECO Club Hosts 3rd Annual Richland Creek Clean-Up

Paul Chenoweth
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Belmont ECO Club Hosts 3rd Annual Richland Creek Clean-Up

Eco ClubBelmont’s Environment and Conservation (ECO) Club hosted a clean-up for their adopted section of Richland Creek on Saturday, April 11. Adopted in the fall of 2013 through an environmental science course service learning project, the adoption requires at least one clean-up event be hosted yearly.

Saturday’s event was a part of the Cumberland River Compact’s 2nd Annual Spring Cleaning Day where 10 Belmont students joined nine other Nashville organizations to clean adopted areas. Participants walked the river banks, waded through the water and picked up all trash. Following the event, a lunch was hosted for all participants.

In addition to the ECO Club’s hosted event, a second clean-up is held annually as a project for an environmental science course. Because of the high levels of pollution in the Richland Creek area, President Katie Keast said hosting two annual clean-ups allows the group to take responsibility for their area.

“We appreciate the land we live on and feel that it is our responsibility as citizens of Nashville to do our part in keeping it clean. This past weekend, the creek was the clearest it has been since the first clean-up in 2103. This was exciting to see, because it shows that our hard work is paying off!” Keast said.

The event aligns with Belmont’s commitment to serve the greater Nashville area and provide students with opportunities to actively engage with their community. Other Belmont sustainability initiatives include yearly Earth Day celebrations, a recycling program and the pursuit of LEED certifications on multiple new buildings.

Click here to learn more about Belmont’s sustainability commitment.

Makemson Presents at Digital Humanities Conference

Paul Chenoweth
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Justin MakemsonBelmont’s Art Education Program Coordinator Justin Makemson recently presented at the Digitorium Digital Humanities Conference at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Makemson’s presentation, “Tagging, Caching, and Augmented Realities on a 19th Century Campus,” recounted the development of a student-designed, student-implemented geographic information systems and augmented reality technologies tour of Belmont’s campus.

For the development of the self-guided art and architecture tour, students “tagged” multiple campus landmarks, linking the contemporary site to a video-based discussion of historical photography taken on location. Makemson has presented at a number of national and state art education conferences including a presentation on his research on artistic self-definitions and the “artistic other” at the iJADE/NSEAD Conference in Liverpool, UK earlier this year.

 

Bunch Library Faculty Participate in National Research Study

Paul Chenoweth
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Bunch Library is one of 10 college and university libraries participating in Project Information Literacy, a large-scale, national study about early adults and their research habits. Facilitated by Jenny Mills, coordinator of research services, and Claire Wiley, research and instruction librarian, and in partnership with Debbie Coppinger, senior director of alumni relations, and John Hostler, director of advancement services, Belmont graduates were surveyed last fall on their lifelong learning needs after college and what information sources and systems they use for continued learning. An infographicand detailed report have recently been released and reveal some interesting findings. Recent graduates strongly agreed that the information skills learned in college were applicable in their later lives, especially extracting information needed, evaluating the credibility of content and presenting information effectively. In addition, 87 percent reported that they still relied on books for staying informed. Sixty follow-up interviews will be conducted this spring, and recent graduates will be asked about best practices and obstacles to lifelong learning. Visit the library’s guide for more information about theInformation Literacy Program.

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