Professor of Journalism Dr. Sybril Bennett published an article titled “Civility, Social Media & Higher Education: A Virtual Triangle” in Civic Learning and Teaching: A Bridge to Civic Life and a Life of Learning, edited by Ashley Finley. The monograph is the most recent publication in The Civic Series, a partnership project between the Bringing Theory to Practice Initiative and the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Sybril Bennett Published in ‘Civic Learning and Teaching’
Pharmacy Students Certified as Immunizers
Sixty-seven second year pharmacy students enrolled in Pharmaceutical Care II course, taught by Dr. Elisa Greene and Dr. Alisa Spinelli, recently became certified immunizers. Utilizing the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program, students completed 20 hours of self-study, didactic and skills-based training. Topics included vaccine preventable diseases, the role of pharmacists as vaccine advocates and administrators, legal and regulatory issues and injection technique. This is the third year that students enrolled in the course have participated in the certification program.
Over 50,000 people die from vaccine preventable illnesses in the United States each year. Immunization-certified pharmacists have expanded community access to protection against vaccine preventable diseases, such as influenza, shingles, and pneumococcal disease. The Institute of Medicine estimates that immunizations, including pharmacist-administered immunizations, have helped to prevent 14 million infections and 33,000 additional deaths from these conditions each year.
Belmont Equestrian Club Wins at First Competition of the Year
The Belmont Equestrian Club won three first place ribbons at the Intercollegiate Horse Show, the first competition of the year, which was hosted by Sewanee: The University of the South on Sept. 27-28.
Members Caitlyn Marsh, Courtney O’Connor, Mary Ritchea and Meg Anderson competed in the hunter/jumper discipline of equestrian sports against schools such as Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee, the University of the South and Murray State University. The riders brought back a total of eight ribbons.
“During my first show with the Belmont Equestrian Club, I learned that we were not only a club, but a team that supports one another in every way. I am a freshman who wanted to join the Belmont Equestrian Club to find a fun and diverse group of people that all shared a common love for horses, but I found so much more thanks to this supportive group,” Meg Anderson said about the Belmont Equestrian Club.
The Belmont Equestrian Club is open to all Belmont University students who express a passion for horses. Club members compete at two competitions each semester as well as attend monthly meetings, weekly lessons, and club events. For further information contact belmontequestrian@gmail.com.
Summer Scholars Present Undergraduate Research
The Belmont Summer Scholars program recently hosted a poster session showcasing the research conducted by the student and faculty participants in the 2014 Summer Scholar Communities. Summer Scholars is a program of undergraduate research in which faculty mentors in the College of Sciences and Mathematics guide students in the collection, analysis and sharing of data. It blends the structure of a summer session class with the format of a research team focused on a faculty-designed research project. The Summer Scholar Communities program students spend 16-18 hours per week for eight to ten weeks on a research project working with several other students and faculty mentors. The scholar communities gather throughout the summer to discuss their research challenges and successes. The poster session provided a venue for sharing that experience with other students and faculty.
Dr. John Niedzwiecki mentored a group of students whose research focused on predator avoidance behavior. These students collected snails from a nearby stream and measured the snails’ ability to detect and avoid predators. The snails were able to detect differences in type and size of the predator as well as how long ago the predator was present. Students Nicole Knowles, Taylor Mills, Raina Burley, Sonia Kadakia and Brielle Davis worked with Niedzwiecki on this project. These students will also present their findings at the Tennessee Academy of Sciences meeting at Walter State Community College and Belmont’s Science Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS) this fall.
Dr. Lori McGrew’s research group used zebrafish (Danio rerio) to assess differences in memory and anxiety following treatment with various chemicals. The chemicals tested by this group included: nicotine, buproprion (an antidepressant), triclosan (an antimicrobial), a pre-workout supplement and a cannabinoid-like compound. The students were able to determine that both triclosan and the pre-workout supplement increased anxiety while the cannabinoid compound and buproprion decreased anxiety as measured in the Danios. Student researchers included Karah Parker, Iqra Wahid, Hensley Barnes, Jaime Wesley and Cassie Wyatt. These students will present their findings at the Society for Neuroscience Conference in Washington, DC as well as SURS this fall at Belmont.
Belmont Faculty and Students Attend Actuarial Meeting
Dr. Danny Biles, professor of mathematics, and five of Belmont’s actuarial program students attended the 2014 annual fall meeting of the Casualty Actuaries of the Southeast (CAS) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga. on Sept. 22. Annie Brunelle, Stephen Sells, Savannah Halliday, Elly Fell and Katie Kruzan gained knowledge of current issues in the actuarial profession and made contacts with several practicing actuaries. The CAS focuses on supporting casualty actuaries who are committed to achieving their full professional potential while maintaining the highest standards of conduct and competence.
Massey Foundation Donates $6.75 Million to Belmont University College of Business
The Jack C. Massey Foundation, which honors the legacy of one of the country’s greatest entrepreneurs and businessmen, announced today a new gift of $6.75 million to Belmont University. With this donation, the Massey Foundation provides the lead gift in a planned $10 million renovation of Belmont’s Massey Business Center as well as secures a new name for Belmont’s College of Business Administration, now to be known as the Jack C. Massey College of Business.
The late Jack C. Massey (1904-1990) and his family have collectively been among Belmont University’s biggest benefactors. The first person in history to take three unrelated companies to the New York Stock Exchange, Massey’s gifts helped Belmont establish its undergraduate and graduate business programs and built both the Massey Business Center and the Massey Performing Arts Center. In addition, Massey’s gifts have endowed Belmont’s Chair in Entrepreneurship, leading the program to be among the best in the nation, as well as the Massey Center for Financial Information, the first financial training lab in Tennessee when it opened in 2005.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Belmont is blessed to have a number of strong supporters within the community and around the region, but without Jack C. Massey, this institution may not have survived its financial struggles in the 1970s. The recipient of Belmont’s first honorary doctorate, Mr. M, as he was called, and our late Chancellor Herbert C. Gabhart forged a friendship that quite literally changed the course of Belmont. We cannot say thank you enough for the generous and continued support of Barbara Massey Rogers, as well as the entire Massey family and the Massey Foundation, for all of their efforts which have made such a tremendous difference in the lives of thousands of students.”
Barbara Massey Rogers, daughter of Jack C. Massey and a long-time supporter of Belmont, added, “The Massey family, along with the Massey Foundation, is pleased to be a part of this celebration. It is exciting to know that the Jack C. Massey name will now be on all diplomas given to both the undergraduate and graduate students of the Jack C. Massey College of Business, which will bring greater recognition and accolades to the widening fame of Belmont and the Massey College. This is a very special event for our family and Belmont University.”
Belmont University ‘Tops Out’ New Dining, Academic Complex
This morning Belmont University topped out its new $80 million Dining and Academic Complex by following in the long-held Scandinavian tradition of placing a tree on the roof of the building to celebrate the completed framing of the structure. The building is expected to open in summer 2015 and will be the home of the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business as well as programs in media studies and a new major that launched last fall, motion pictures.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “The programs that will occupy this building demand state-of-the-art technology in order to educate students to compete in today’s marketplace, and this new facility will offer exceptional resources. Moreover, the new second-floor space for our primary dining option will serve our entire campus, giving our community greater options and faster service in a location that will also provide beautiful aesthetics.”
The 134,000-square-foot Dining and Academic Complex will sit on top of a 1,000+ -space parking garage, keeping the building’s footprint small while greatly enhancing parking options on campus. The second-floor dining hall will provide 1,000 seats; a capacity that triples the current campus cafeteria, and will offer an outdoor patio facing into campus. As part of its 21-year tenure as Belmont’s dining services provider, Sodexo is contributing to the construction of the Dining and Academic Center.
Belmont Vice President and Chief of Staff Susan West, who oversees the auxiliary services on campus, said, “Our campus community will benefit greatly from improved dining services in this facility. The research that we did in advance—through visits to other university dining facilities and focus groups with students, faculty and staff—provided thoughtful and helpful input which impacted every aspect of the new cafeteria’s design. I think our campus is going to truly love this new space.”
Classrooms and faculty/staff offices will comprise approximately 70 percent of the building. Academic program-centered features of the building include 30 student edit bays, multiple computer labs, a motion capture facility, a Foley/ADR sound studio, color correction studio, post-production audio mix studio, a video/broadcast studio, two video production control rooms, a 2,500 square foot sound stage and a scene shop. In addition, two state-of-the art screening theaters (seating 260 and 80) will also boast audio mixing technology.
Belmont is seeking LEED Gold certification for the new facility, which will utilize a geothermal HVAC system as well as feature a partial green roof. The geothermal system is projected to yield the University an estimated 40 percent in cost savings over a standard heating and cooling system. The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes it as the most environmentally-friendly heating and cooling system because it uses the earth itself as the source to transfer temperatures, reducing energy costs and pollution concerns. Instead of generating heat with standard conventional furnaces, in the geothermal system water is funneled 500-feet underground through pumps that use the earth’s constant temperature of 50 degrees to warm buildings in the winter and cool them in the summer.
Since 2000, Belmont has invested nearly a half billion dollars ($470 million) in construction projects to enhance campus life and serve a growing enrollment, including several residence halls, academic buildings, an athletic and student life center as well as its largest building to date, the Wedgewood Academic Center.
Belmont’s Curb College Partners with Sony/ATV Music Publishing to Connect Students with Industry Professionals
As part of an effort to connect students with industry professionals, The Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University has partnered with Sony/ATV Music Publishing for the “All Access” program which gives students a pathway to share their talent and work with the world’s leading music publisher and gives the Sony/ATV team the opportunity to discover potential talent at Belmont University.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville President and CEO Troy Tomlinson said, “We make a real point at Sony/ATV of being part of the community in Nashville and this new partnership with Belmont is a great example of that. We know the University is overflowing with talented students and by launching the All Access program we will now have a direct way to identify them so we can help them to reach their full potential. This is all about uncovering the next generation of songwriters and artists.”
Through the program, students will have the opportunity to have two songs reviewed by the Sony/ATV Music Publishing Creative Team. The Creative Team will then select a limited number of students to perform their songs live for the SONY/ATV team during showcases held each semester. After the live performances, the SONY/ATV team will extend an invitation to a limited number of students to experience “a day in the Sony/ATV studio with an engineer.”
James I. Elliott, Chair of Songwriting in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, added, “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to have their music heard by Troy Tomlinson and his Creative Team. We look forward to the process and have high hopes that Sony ATV Music Publishing will discover some future hit makers at Belmont.”
In 1971 Belmont University created a Music Business program designed to prepare young men and women for operational, administrative, creative and technical careers in the music industry. The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business was established in 2003 to provide educational programs of study for future entertainment industry professionals. Belmont’s Curb College offers three academic degrees and four areas of study in Music Business (B.B.A.), Audio Engineering Technology (B.A. or B.S.), Entertainment Industry Studies (B.A. or B.S.), and Songwriting (B.A. or B.S.). The college boasts an impressive faculty of academic scholars and authors, entrepreneurs, songwriters, producers, and sound and recording engineers. A world leader in music business and entertainment industry education, and the only freestanding college of its kind accredited for both business (AACSB) and technology (ABET), the Curb College has been featured in Billboard, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Business Week.
ABOUT SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING:
Sony/ATV Music Publishing, established in 1995 as a joint venture between Sony and Michael Jackson, is the world’s leading music publisher. Together with EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV owns or administers around 3 million copyrights including those from such iconic music catalogs like Leiber & Stoller, Mijac Music, Motown and Famous Music. Sony/ATV also controls many of the best known songs ever written like “New York, New York,” “Hallelujah,” “All You Need Is Love,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Moon River,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “The Mission Impossible Theme,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Stand By Me,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Singin’ in the Rain.” In addition, Sony/ATV represents the copyrights of such legendary artists as The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Kraftwerk, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Richie Sambora, Sting, The Supremes, Wyclef Jean, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists, writers and producers includes Akon, Avicii, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, P!nk, RedOne, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Stargate, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.
Entertainment Law Society Welcomes NCAA General Counsel, Donald Remy, to Campus
Professor Loren Mulraine and the Belmont University College of Law Entertainment Law Society welcomed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Executive Vice President of Law, Policy and Governance and Chief Legal Officer, Donald Remy, to campus. Remy spoke to the members of the Entertainment Law Society as well as other law school students about his influence and experiences in the legal community. Remy spoke eloquently about his role with the NCAA and how as a sports lawyer, his day-to-day duties include all aspects of the legal field. He noted that in a day, he can see issues dealing with employment law, constitutional law, contract negotiations, torts, anti-trust and intellectual property, to name a few. Based on the some of the current issues, Remy held an informative discussion with the students on publicity vs. privacy rights, most notably from the recent Ed O’Bannon case that he litigated.
Women in the Workforce Breakfast Brings ABC Executive to Nashville
Belmont University, Council on Workforce Innovation partner to promote workplace diversity
As part of an effort to promote professional women and workplace diversity, Belmont University and the Council on Workforce Innovation welcomed ABC Senior Vice President Dawn Soler to campus for the 2014 Women in the Workforce Forum and Awards. The sold-out event occurred this morning in Belmont’s Maddox Grand Atrium with the theme “Music, Movies and Mentoring” and featured awards presentations to local professional leaders and a keynote address by Soler as well as professional development sessions.
“We have several Nashville companies and executives investing in women in the workplace, so we hope they can spend a day away from the bustle of the office to invest in themselves,” said Jacky Akbari, the council’s founder and board chairman. “Soler is a proven leader with a successful track record in the music and entertainment business sector. She remains one of the few female decision-makers in Hollywood.”
Pat Raines, dean of Belmont’s College of Business Administration, said, “The Jack C. Massey College of Business is proud to host Women in the Workforce Forum at Belmont for the second year. With only 14.6 percent of the executive officer positons for Fortune 500 companies held by women, hosting conferences like this provides a platform for discussion about strategies and needed change supporting women’s advancement in the business world.”
