Dr. Lori McGrew, associate professor of biology, and two of her research students, Katie Farrell and Jordan Gann, attended the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in San Diego, Calif. on Nov. 9-12. The international conference draws more than 30,000 neuroscientists who share the latest research in the field and is the world’s largest meeting focused on scientific discovery related to the brain and nervous system.
McGrew presented a poster in the “History and Teaching of Neuroscience” theme. Her poster was titled “How to Design Group Projects that Successfully Foster Collaborative Learning.” Farrell and Gann presented posters describing their undergraduate research projects during the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience chapter meeting and poster session. Gann’s poster was titled “Effects of Glyphosate Exposure on Anxiety-Like Behavior in Danio rerio” and Farrell’s poster was titled “Does Bacopa monniera Play a Significant Role in Improving Cognitive Function and Memory in Zebrafish?”
In addition to these presentations, McGrew and the students were able to meet other neuroscience researchers and learn about their current research. The group was able to attend a number of lectures concerning key events in neuroscience this year. One such lecture series focused on implementation of President Obama’s BRAIN initiative. In an address in April 2013, the president outlined why now is the ideal time to revolutionize our understanding of the mind and make real strides in curing brain disorders. The SfN lecture series included leaders from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency who discussed the plan for implementation of the BRAIN initiative. Other special lectures included “Behavioral Sciences in the Courtroom” and “Adjusting Brain Circuits for Learning and Memory.” Overall, McGrew and the students learned a great deal about current advances in neuroscience, shared some of their own discoveries, and returned to Nashville, Tenn. with a plethora of new ideas
When Google selected Belmont media studies professor Dr. Sybril Bennett as one of its 8,000 Google Glass Explorers in June, the company likely didn’t expect that this single, beta sample of its new wearable computer would jump start the digital creativity of nearly 60 college students. But thanks to Bennett’s desire for her students to embrace and respect innovation, she set aside concerns for the risks (her glasses cost $1,500) and introduced both sections of her “Digital Citizenship & Society” class to the futuristic technology.
Forbes business magazine recently named Dr. Jeff Cornwall’s blog, 
Belmont alumna Kaileigh Bullard was crowned Miss Nashville 2014 on Nov. 9. The pageant was a first for Bullard, who will go on to represent Nashville in the Miss Tennessee pageant in June in Jackson, Tenn. During her year as Miss Nashville, Bullard will serve as an advocate for the city, the Children’s Miracle Network, and her platform, Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness, working with organizations such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and Girls With Guts.
Despite the catchy, sing-along hook of the old TV theme song, a horse is not just a horse, of course. Rather, in the case of Dr. Judy Skeen’s First Year Seminar (FYS) on the topic “Cross Species Communications: Through the Eyes of Other Creatures,” horses are a gift to the education process, allowing Belmont freshmen a different way to interact with the campus-wide theme, Through the Eyes of Others.
A bright red door on the front porch of 1524 Compton Avenue welcomes visitors into a unique space on Belmont’s campus, the recently renovated home of the University’s 
In addition to paint, new artwork and lamps, the renovation also included new furniture in several rooms, a significant update to the kitchen and the addition of railings, tables and chairs to both the front and back porches. For a program that hovers around 180 students total, the porches are a particularly positive update as they provide additional gathering space for students throughout the day as well as for program events.
Curb College Dean Wesley Bulla’s research on noise exposure among audio engineers was recently cited in the AES Journal in Robert H. Ghent’s article, “Workplace Noise Regulations in the Music Industry, A Square Peg in a Round Hole.” Also, Bulla delivered a featured presentation titled “Time Machine: The Sound of Recording History” at the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy, First Amendment Center conference “Soundscapes: hearing in the age of digital media” on Nov. 15.