Belmont University introduced the first six McWhorter Society Scholars on Dec. 4. The McWhorter Society, which was formed earlier this year, consists of members of the Nashville area community who are engaged in healthcare and the business of healthcare, and who choose to support future healthcare professionals from Belmont University.
The society is named in honor of long-time Belmont supporter Clayton McWhorter whose leadership and role in the development of healthcare industry giants HealthTrust Inc. and HCA have made a strong impression in the field of health care. In 1996, Clayton, his son Stuart and a close business friend created the venture capital firm Clayton Associates, which quickly evolved into a hub of strategic business development activities related to new firms in healthcare, technology and diversified services.
McWhorter was introduced to the newest scholars to hear their Belmont stories and how they intend to use the degrees they are pursuing at Belmont. Recipients included the following Belmont students.
Jacquelyn Youde is a student in the Massey School’s Master of Business Administration program for Healthcare Professionals (HCMBA). She is board-certified audiologist who originally attended the University of Washington in Seattle, prior to graduating with her Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Texas-Dallas. She previously was employed at Vanderbilt and is a full-time business student.
Roland Achenjang is also a student in the HCMBA program. As a young boy, he came to America with his parents, immigrating from Cameroon, Africa. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from North Dakota State University and is currently a pharmacist at St. Thomas-Midtown, pursuing his Belmont degree as a means of advancing his career to the next level as a healthcare administrator and leader.
Kelsey Maguire, from Nolensville, Tenn., is an undergraduate student in the College of Health Science’s School of Nursing where she plans to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing next spring. As the founding President of Belmont’s Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) chapter, Maguire was instrumental in launching an event aimed at educating the campus community about the need for feminine hygiene products in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. In the spring of 2013, NCF collected over 5,000 hygiene items and Maguire traveled to Africa to personally deliver these products and work directly with the women and girls who would benefit from the gifts.
Lauren Moss is a member of the inaugural class in the School of Nursing’s new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. She is a board certified Women’s Health and Adult Health Nurse Practitioner and currently practices in a local urban internal medicine and pain management clinic. She is a member of the Iota Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing. Moss’ capstone project for her DNP focuses on adults with hypercholesterolemia and determining whether nurse-led telephone reminder calls increase patient adherence to a prescribed medication regimen.
Jessica Brinkley is a third-year student in the College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. Brinkley has served as president of Belmont’s student chapters of Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and has been actively involved through these student organizations with Barren Plains Ministry, Habitat for Humanity and Live Beyond, in addition to organizing a toy drive for children in Haiti.. As a result of her work with Habitat for Humanity, she will soon publish a paper titled, “Building a Lifelong Commitment to Service” in Student Pharmacist.
Emily Doss is also a third-year student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. She has completed a prestigious summer internship in pharmacy at John Hopkins University. Doss is president of Belmont’s student chapter of Phi Lambda Sigma, the Pharmacy Leadership Society, and has received a Leadership Chapter Award for her community service with APhA. She has served as a Student Ambassador for the College, class president and PLS president, and is an active member of multiple student pharmacist organizations at Belmont.
The McWhorter Society was conceived by Dr. Richard Treadway and the University Office of Advancement. Membership can be arranged by calling Willie Young in the University Development Office.
The 
Jill Robinson, director of executive learning and marketing for the Center for Executive Education at Belmont, has been named the 2013 Young Leader of the Year by Young Leaders Council.
The Jack C. Massey Graduate School’s graduating Professional Master of Business Administration students for fall 2013 performed in the top 10 percent of students nationally on the MBA Major Field Test produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, N.J. The exam has been administered to more than 25,000 students at 260 graduate business programs across the U.S. since 2009.
Communication Studies Assistant Professor Nathan Webb attended the National Communication Association annual conference, where he made four competitively selected academic presentations. Each of the talks related to Webb’s research on and practice of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He presented research on the effects of utilizing service leaning on small group pedagogy, the use of instructor self-disclosure in the classroom and how millennial professors gain credibility with students. He also was selected to share teaching practices in the Great Ideas for Teaching Students division.
Belmont students Mackenzie Watson, Ashley Miller, Maren Richards, Hallie Cunningham, Emma Price, Jessica Porreca, Mikaela Sensley and Brittney Hampshire and Dr. Kimberlee Daus, professor of chemistry, recently participated in the Dickson County Drug Take-Back event. This event was held on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and was coordinated by Vanderbilt University and the Dickson County Police Department. Working alongside faculty and students from Vanderbilt and Lipscomb universities, Belmont students and faculty cataloged and counted more than 60 pounds of medication. The National Drug Take-Back Day, set by the Drug Enforcement Agency, provides a service to community through safe and responsible disposal of unused medication. Additionally, these events help to educate the public about the potential of drug abuse associated with these medications.
Dr. John Niedzwiecki, associate professor of biology, recently presented an invited Departmental Seminar at Middle Tennessee State University. His talk was titled “Comparative Landscape Genetics of Darwin’s Finches.” He also met with graduate students in MTSU’s Molecular Bio-Sciences doctoral program to discuss his and their research programs. (image – john_ niedzwiecki.jpg)
The Fifth Annual 
Biology Department faculty members Bob Grammer, Steve Murphree, Darlene Panvini, Nick Ragsdale, Jennifer Thomas and Chris Barton attended the 123rd 