Dr. Steve Robinson, associate professor of physics, attended the first International Conference on Statistical Distributions and Applications on Oct. 10-13, in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Robinson gave a talk entitled, “Determining Individual Baseball Contributions from Team Run Distributions.” The goals of the conference were to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share and discuss recent advancements on distribution theory and applications and to encourage opportunities for research collaborations. Conference presenters were encouraged to submit their articles for consideration of publication in a special issue of a new journal, Journal of Statistical Distributions and Applications.
Robinson Presents at Statistical Distributions Conference
Muccini Presents Paper, Certified as OPI Italian Language Tester
Dr. Francesca Muccini, associate professor of Italian, presented a paper entitled “Teaching Italian Culture” at a conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 19. Her paper discussed the challenge and importance of a content-based approach to the teaching of Italian language and culture at the Intermediate level. Muccini has also become an ACTFL certified OPI tester for Italian language. ACTFL OPI Tester Certification is a highly valued professional credential that is recognized nationally and internationally. She is one of a select group of language professionals who can administer and rate oral proficiency interviews (OPIs) in Italian
Schneller Published, Conference Speaker
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Beverly Schneller recently had several works published. “A New and Braver Point to Make” is a chapter in the book Women, Gender, and Print Culture in Eigtheenth-Century Britain, Essays in Memory of Betty Rizzo, Ed by Temma Berg and Sonia Kane ( Lehigh UP 2013). She wrote a book review of Jennifer Airey’s The Politics of Rape: Sexual Atrocity, Propaganda Wars and the Restoration Stage (University of Delaware Press, 2012) that was published in The East-Central Intelligencer NS 27:2 (September 2013).
Schneller also presented on ” Critical reading’s role in sophomore retention,” a workshop at the annual meeting of the Association of General and Liberal Studies held in Indianapolis, Ind. last month.
Women’s Basketball Serves Families in Need
Belmont Women’s Basketball team, Assistant Coach L’Tona Lamonte and Head Coach Cameron Newbauer served needy families during a community service project on Oct. 23. The student-athletes bagged donated food at Star Families. The organization provides the food twice a month to registered families that are either homeless, jobless or getting back on their feet.
Yoo Honored with Korea America Finance Award
Associate Professor of Finance Sean Sehyun Yoo, along with two co-authors, received the Korea America Finance Association Best Paper Award for 2013 for their paper entitled “Risk Management with Leverage: Evidence from Project Finance.” The Korea America Finance Association consists of Korean American finance faculty and other domestic and international members. With the sponsorship of Shinhan Bank, one of top five commercial banks in Korea, the association annually awards the best paper prize to research papers in finance and related areas. The paper, published by the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis examines the conventional wisdom that says borrowing, or leverage can be tax-beneficiary. But, bankruptcy risk will increase with leverage eventually. At odd with this, the authors’ empirical research finds that leverage can be used as a risk management tool in project finance, e.g., building a highway, by using the most comprehensive sample of project finance extracted from 124 countries between 1997 and 2006.
Students Take Classroom Outside During ‘Wash and Roll’
Occupational and physical therapy students took their classroom learning outside during a community service project on Tuesday. During Wash and Roll, dozens of wheelchair users had their power chairs cleaned and serviced free-of-charge by students and faculty from Belmont’s Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs and local equipment dealers.
“This collaboration of physical therapy and occupational therapy was to get students involved in community service with an underserved population. Because once they get a wheelchair from insurance, they can get serviced once a year, but it is difficult to find place to get it done,” said Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor Teresa Plummer. “No one just cleans and services chairs, so families of people with medical disability have to do it on their own.”
The service is so rare that Barbara Pierce drove her husband, Marion, 90 miles from Winchester, Tenn. to Belmont’s campus to have his five-year-old wheelchair evaluated and cleaned.
Belmont Hosts British Consul General for Marshall Scholarship Session
Belmont’s Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education hosted British Consul General Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford and distinguished members of his staff to speak at a statewide reception and information session for prospective Marshall Scholarship candidates in Massey Boardroom on Monday evening.
The Marshall Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world and provides funding for graduate study in the United Kingdom. Students from any discipline are eligible to apply, but they must have a minimum GPA of 3.7. As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American people, their governments and their institutions. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programs contributes to their ultimate personal success.
Dr. Mimi Barnard, assistant provost of interdisciplinary studies and global education, said, “In appointing scholars the selectors will look for candidates who have the potential to excel as scholars, as leaders and as contributors to improved U.K.-U.S. understanding. Assessment will be based on academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential. Our office was delighted to host the British Consul General Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford and his staff for the reception as well as several college and university representatives from across Tennessee.”
SouthEast Bank Awards Accounting Freshman with 4-Year Scholarship
EdSouth Chairman Ron Gambill and SouthEast Bank Scholarship Director Tommy Schumpert presented on Monday the first of four SouthEast Bank $7,000 checks Hannah Turner will receive during her tenure at Belmont University. She is the first Belmont student to receive the SouthEast Bank Scholarship, which awards $28,000 over four years to a business student.
“The stress has been taken away. I was so excited to find out about the scholarship, and my parents were too. This has helped greatly,” said Turner, a freshman from Hixson, Tenn. studying accounting. With receipt of the SouthEast Bank Scholarship, Turner said was able to cancel a student loan.
The SouthEast Bank Scholarship is given to a student from Tennessee studying finance, accounting or banking with at least a 3.25 high school grade point average and 23 ACT score as well as the financial need and evidence of community involvement. It is a reoccurring scholarship awarded biennially to a new student.
Schumpert said, “We are just glad to keep good students in Tennessee. There are so many great institutions like Belmont, and we know if we can get them to stay in state, then we know they will become great leaders here.”
Belmont University and SouthEast Bank’s parent company EdSouth previously partnered to award EdScholar, a general scholarship to incoming freshman. Since 2003, 14 students have been awarded a four-year $7,000 scholarship.
“It has been great to see the change that occurs in a student when they are able to be the first to go to college,” said Gambill, the first in his family to purse higher education. A former high school guidance counselor and college financial aid administrator, Gambill said he has a passion for enabling education and is dedicated to ensuring the state has a well-prepared workforce through students.
EdSouth, having commenced full operations in the spring of 1988, is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation organized for the purpose of promoting access to higher education by acquiring postsecondary education loans under Title IV of the Federal Higher Education Act of 1965. With assets of approximately $6 billion, EdSouth has funded the educational pursuits of over 1 million postsecondary students.
Artists, Authors Discuss ‘Making Music to the Glory of God’
Music plays an important role in worshiping God, according to the authors of It Was Good: Making Music to the Glory of God, who visited Belmont on Friday and spoke during chapel.
“Why sing to the Lord as opposed to throwing bowling pins or spinning dishes on a stick for Him? At every place and every time Christians gather, they make a proclamation of Scripture, prayer and song. Music is a universal feature of human worship and a universal characteristic of human beings,” said School of Religion Associate Professor Steve Guthrie.
The eight-member panel included Guthrie, a music industry executive, pastors and noted musicians who each wrote chapters of the book. Among them were recording artists Sandra McCracken, a Belmont alumna, and Sarah Masen, classical pianist Bethany Brooks, EMI Vice President of Artists and Repertoire Brad O’Donnell and singer-songwriter Joy Ike.
Students Visit Farm for Experiential Learning
For the fourth year, professors Nick Bacon and Charmion Gustke took students enrolled in “The Mind and Body Connection” to David Dailey’s Real Food Farms in Franklin, Tenn. The purpose of this field trip was to introduce students to a biodynamic farm, giving them a first-hand look at the challenges and benefits of sustainable food practices. Free from pesticides, genetic engineering and chemical fertilizers, Real Food Farms is a wonderful example of a local solution to the global health concerns facing our students. During their most recent trip, students played with piglets born the previous day, planted garlic, built tomato cages and enjoyed a freshly prepared lunch created by Belmont nursing student Robin Queen, a trained chef and passionate foodie. The menu included local cheeses, barbecue farm-raised chicken, organic salad, homemade cornbread and chocolate-mint cookies served with farm fresh milk. After lunch, students enjoyed a question-and-answer session with Dailey discussing current trends in food production, eating healthily and supporting local farms.
