Dr. Glenn Acree, professor of mathematics, was invited to join the new TN Department of Education’s STEM Leadership Council. Acree delivered the opening address “Conversations for STEM Education and Workforce Development” for the Tennessee Science Standards Steering Committee at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville earlier in the year and was invited by Assistant Education Commissioner Danielle Mezera to serve on the newly formed STEM Leadership Council.

As Tennessee continues to advance towards a greater integration of rigorous K-12 STEM learning pathways, leading to post-secondary achievement and the development of dynamic STEM-related occupation pipelines, it is critically important that the state’s top thought leaders are active in this process. By engaging various stakeholders from across the state, Tennessee will be able – as a state – to ensure strong, robust alignment and visioning between education and industry.

The Nashville Scene has named University President Bob Fisher as among the 25 Nashvillians who have shaped the city for the better over the past 25 years. The article cites Belmont’s growth through the construction of academic and residential buildings, the addition of new graduate programs and the expansion of enrollment to double the number of students since Fisher took helm in 2000. During Fisher’s tenure, campus has expanded significantly with the additions of the Baskin Center, Curb Event Center, Beaman Student Life Center, the Gordon E. Inman Center, the Troutt Theater complex, McWhorter Hall, the Wedgewood Academic Center and several new residence halls and parking garages. Academically, the University has added numerous new interdisciplinary programs in the past decade, including Social Entrepreneurship, New Century Journalism, Pharmacy, Motion Pictures and Law. Click here to read more.

Dr. Steve Murphree, professor of biology, was an invited presenter at the recent Friends of Warner Park’s 2014 Children’s Picnic.  Murphree hosted an interactive table for the children and their families to learn about insects. The Friends of Warner Parks is an organization dedicated to the preservation, protection and stewardship of Percy and Edwin Warner Parks in Nashville, Tennessee. It works to protect the natural and historical integrity of the area by supporting appropriate recreational activities, maintaining and enhancing its features, and promoting programs that inspire appreciation and conservation of the parks. (image: steven_murphree)

Dr. Mike Pinter, director of the Teaching Center Director and professor of mathematics, has had an article published this summer in PRIMUS: Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies, Volume 24, Issue 7, 2014.  The article is entitled “Writing to Enhance Understanding in General Education Mathematics Courses.” This issue of PRIMUS is a Special Issue on Writing and Editing in the Mathematics Curriculum, is available online and will be printed this summer.

In the article, Pinter considers a variety of writing assignments he uses when teaching MTH 1020 and HON 3310.  The student writing ranges from brief informal pieces to more formal assignments that address the full scope of the course, with an emphasis on encouraging students to have a richer experience of mathematical people and ideas and of their own learning.  The assignments incorporate multiple media, including novels and films, and are spread throughout the course so that students have frequent and regular exposure to writing.  

Dr. Teresa Plummer, assistant professor of occupational therapy, was a presenter this spring at the Interdisciplinary Seating and Mobility Conference in Nottwil, Switzerland.  The conference was held at the Switzerland Paraplegic Center, a 150 bed facility dedicated to spinal cord injury rehab and research.  Plummer’s presentation was on the Relationship of Vision, Posture and Mobility.

Dr. Manuel A. Cruz, an assistant professor in the School of Religion, explored the spiritual implications of divine absence in “The Trace of God: Difference, Time, and the Absence of God,” a paper delivered at the Annual Convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America, which took place June 5 through 8 in San Diego, California.

Several Belmont students competed at the Miss Tennessee pageant this past weekend, where senior Hayley Lewis earned the highest score in the talent category on the night of the pageant and was crowned Miss Tennessee. Lewis will compete in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sept. 14, which will be televised on ABC. She will defer from the University for one year to travel the state as Gov. Bill Haslam’s spokesperson for Character Education as well as the goodwill ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network before returning to campus in August 2015 to complete her studies in music business and classical vocal performance. While at Belmont, Lewis provided gameday support for basketball and baseball teams.

Kalleigh Bullard, Miss Nashville, was second runner up and talent and earned the highest score in swimsuit during preliminaries. Jaclyn Torrento, Miss Chattanooga, was fourth runner up and earned the Miss Tennessee Community Service Award. Other Belmont students who competed in the pageant were Brooke Hudgins, Miss Fall Fest; Racheal Turner, Miss Rocky Top, who tied in talent during preliminaries with Aria Stiles, Miss Queen City.

Dr. Douglas Murray, of the Department of English, performed twice at the biennial convention of the American Guild of Organists held in Boston, Massachusetts on June 22 through 27. He was named a semi-finalist in the National Competition for Organ Improvisation (NCOI), competed in the semi-final round on June 23 and won $2,000. He has also been invited to play in a public improvisation masterclass to be conducted by Thierry Escaich, professor of composition and improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire and and successor (at St. Etienne-du-Mont) of Maurice Durufle.