IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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LED Lights Enhance Curb Event Center Arena User Experience

Paul Chenoweth
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Curb Event Center Lights Floor 2013-2 copy (4)As part of Belmont’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, the University has replaced decade-old 1,000-watt metal halide lights in the Curb Event Center Arena with 300-watt LED lights expected to bring the University $40,000 in cost savings annually.

“The largest drain on energy consumption on this campus was lighting this room,” said Director of Event Services David Graham while walking on the arena floor. “We had been working for some time to identify a solution. LED (light-emitting diode) technology was so new that everyone was hesitant to invest in it.”

Following the lead of Weber State University, Belmont University is the second college to illuminate its arena with LED lights originally designed for supply warehouses. The new lights and system are expected to be maintenance -free for 10 years and have a life expectancy twice as long, Graham said.

Unlike the previous metal halide lights that could be turned on, half way on and off but took minutes to warm up, the new LED lights are dimmable and instantly turn on and off. Paired with their new control system installed last summer, the Office of Event Services is able to create custom settings for events, including Curb College showcases, Opening Convocation and athletic games.

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Alumnus Travis Cottrell Receives Encore Award

Paul Chenoweth
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Travis CottrellThe Belmont University School of Music presented the 2013 Encore Award Thursday evening to worship pastor/songwriter/Christian artist Travis Cottrell during a concert in his honor. The Encore Award was created in 2008 to honor a Belmont University School of Music alumnus for achievement in the field of classical music.  During last night’s award presentation in McAfee Concert Hall, Cottrell performed a selection of classical and sacred pieces as well as two original compositions: “Forevermore (Psalm 145)” and “Christ Be With Me (St. Patrick’s Breastplate).”

Cottrell, a native of Boone, North Carolina, graduated from Belmont (magna cum laude) with a degree in Church Music in 1992. His vocal talent was evident during his student years at Belmont. He became a Metropolitan Opera competition finalist and sang the role of Tevye in Belmont’s production of Fiddler on the Roof in 1992.

He currently serves as Worship Pastor at Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, Tenn. A prolific songwriter and sought-after performer, Cottrell has performed or recorded with artists such as Amy Grant, Garth Brooks, Melinda Doolittle and CeCe Winans. He has also recorded several solo projects, including Found, Ring the Bells, When the Stars Burn Down and the Dove award-winning Jesus Saves Live. In 2010, Zondervan Press published his first book, Surprised by Worship: Discovering God Where You least Expect It, and in 2013 a journal version of the same book titled He Knows Your Name. Travis has been married to his wife Angela (a Belmont alumna) for 19 years, and they have three children – Jack, 16, Lily Kate, 13 and Levi, 10.

Previous Encore Award honorees include Clifton Forbis (2008), Daniel Weeks (2009), Drs. Daniel and Sharon Lawhon (2010), Maestra Teresa Cheung (2011) and Dr. Alfredo Colman (2012).

Cornwall Quoted in Washington Business Journal Blog

Paul Chenoweth
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cornwallDr. Jeff Cornwall, professor of entrepreneurship, was recently quoted in the Washington Business Journal in a guest blog titled “The great entrepreneurial debate: Should you accept venture capital investments?” The article, which was written by CardHub.com CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou, can be read here.

Bruin Bucks Expand to Off-Campus Dining Options

Paul Chenoweth
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bruin bucks 001Belmont Dining Services has expanded off-campus dining options with the addition of local restaurants to the Bruin Bucks bill.

Students not only have the opportunity to use Bruin Bucks at all on-campus dining locations, including the new McAlister’s Deli and Papa John’s Pizza in the Curb Café, but also at notable Nashville restaurants such as Chago’s Cantina and Noshville.

“The program was expanded to give students access to a greater number of locations and variety. We know our students want as many choices as possible, and with the additional locations we are trying to meet their needs. Our hope is with the addition of these new locations we are meeting and exceeding our students’ expectations,” said Kyle Grover, director of dining services.

In addition, Bruin Bucks can be used at Belmont’s pharmacy for prescriptions as well as over the counter items such as cold and allergy medications, pain relievers and beauty supplies.

Here is a full list of where Bruin Bucks are accepted off campus:

Chago’s Cantina

Copper Kettle – Downtown and Green Hills locations

GoGo Sushi

Jam Coffeehouse

Kalamata’s – Belmont Blvd. location

Nomzilla Sushi

Noshville – Midtown and Green Hills location

Papa John’s – Campus and West End locations

Pizza Perfect – 21st Ave. location

Subway – Belmont Blvd. location

Sunset Grill

Sweet Cece’s – Hillsboro Village location

The Well Coffeehouse

Which Wich –  Green Hills location

Bruin Bucks, can be billed to student accounts until the last day of drop/add.  After that, they must be purchased through Belmont Central.  Bruin Bucks roll over semester to semester until the students graduates and can be refunded if there is any left on the student’s account upon graduation.

Belmont Holds Strong at No. 7 in Annual U.S. News College Rankings

Paul Chenoweth
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University lauded for innovation and commitment to undergraduate teaching

Photo from President and Board of Trustees Welcome Dinner on The LawnFor the third year in a row, Belmont University remained at No. 7 on U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of America’s Best Colleges. Announced today, Belmont placed in the Top 10 of the Regional Universities-South listing for the fifth consecutive year and was also lauded for the sixth year in a row as a top “Up-and-Comer.” For the 2014 rankings, Belmont placed second in the southern region in that category, indicating the university has made “the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities.” Moreover, Belmont was praised by its peers for its “unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching,” placing second in a regional ranking in that area.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “While there are lots of rankings out there, the U.S. News process is probably the most relevant to us since it features several measures of quality that are important to Belmont including retention rate, graduation rate, the academic preparation of incoming students and the level of commitment of resources to teaching and learning. In addition to the overall ranking, it is even more gratifying that our peer institutions voted us a No. 2 in the South in the ‘Up-and Coming’ category as well as No. 2 in our commitment to undergraduate teaching—they see us as a university that is on the move.”

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Musical Theatre Alumna to Guest Star on Nickelodeon Show

Paul Chenoweth
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Katie LadnerMusical Theater graduate Katie Ladner (’13) will guest star in an episode of Nick at Nite’s “See Dad Run” airing Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. CST. “See Dad Run” stars Scott Baio as a TV sitcom dad who leaves show business to raise his three children after his wife returns to acting. Ladner plays the character “Kate” ‐ a British student who encourages Baio’s on‐screen daughter to break out of her predictability rut. The show was taped in May at L.A.’s Paramount Studios before a live studio audience the week before graduation.

“Nickelodeon flew me back on the Friday night red yye from L.A. so I could walk in my Saturday morning graduation ceremony,” Ladner said. “It was such a surreal experience! I can honestly say that I saw my dreams coming true before my very eyes.”

Ladner is a native of Madison, Miss., and plans to make New York City her home this fall. She is currently originating the role of “Martha Dunstock” in the Broadway workshop production of “Heathers the Musical” written by Laurence O’Keefe (“Legally Blonde”) and Kevin Murphy and directed by Andy Fickman (“She’s the Man”). For more information about Ladner, visit www.katieladner.com.

Belmont University Sponsors Music City Roots on NPT

Paul Chenoweth
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Artists with Belmont connections who played Music City Roots in January 2012 included The Westbound Rangers, Leah Korbin, Shirock, Kopecky Family Band and the Apache Relay.
Artists with Belmont connections who played Music City Roots in January 2012 included The Westbound Rangers, Leah Korbin, Shirock, Kopecky Family Band and the Apache Relay. [Photo by Donnie Hedden]
Belmont University is proud to serve as a lead sponsor of the inaugural televised series of “Music City Roots: Live from The Loveless Cafe,” which will premiere on its hometown station, Nashville Public Television, on Fri., Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. Central. Soon thereafter, the 13-episode series, distributed by American Public Television, will debut in tens of millions of homes, having received commitments from markets covering over 60 percent of all U.S. households, including WNET in New York, WGBH in Boston, plus stations in Los Angeles, Austin and over 75 other markets. New markets will be added every month.

This historic premiere answers the prayers of generations of Nashville artists, producers, business people and civic leaders for a national television showcase for the diverse artistry happening in Nashville, beyond the well-publicized country music industry. Launched and run as a live radio show with a focus on artistry and community, Music City Roots celebrates the diversity and dynamism of the new Nashville and the national revival of folk and roots music.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “When Board Trustee Eugenia Winwood suggested partnering with Music City Roots, her enthusiasm was inspiring. Belmont University has a long history in the music industry and as ‘Nashville’s University,’ we’re proud to show our support for the unique and unparalleled talent of Music City.”

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‘Simple Way’ Founder Speaks on New Monasticism

Paul Chenoweth
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Shane ClaiborneAuthor and activist Shane Claiborne spoke to students Wednesday in MPAC about his inspiring ministries and how God helped him find his purpose.

Claiborne spent time on the streets of Calcutta working with Mother Teresa as well as on the staff of a Chicago mega-church. In 1998, he helped found The Simple Way, a Christian community in inner city Philadelphia that has spawned numerous ministries and an international movement called The New Monasticism. His books include “Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals” and “Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical.”

He told students the story of how The Simple Way began and how much it has grown since. He explained that all of his ministries have been a result of “inconvenient interruptions” and how he was able to find a purpose in them.

“God is bigger than all of us. He can make the rocks cry out,” Claiborne said. “He wants to use us to change the patterns of injustice in the world.”

He concluded by advising students to “Make space to be interrupted. Make space for somebody else’s pain and God’s plan.”

English Graduate Students Present Papers Abroad

Paul Chenoweth
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Literary_London_Conference (2)Three students in Belmont’s Master’s of Arts in English program had papers selected for presentation at recent international conferences. Jamie E. Pack presented a paper on “Dark Passages: Femicide in the Gothic” at the International Gothic Conference hosted by the University of Surrey in Guildford, England on Aug. 5 through 8. Her paper was selected for presentation in a session featuring papers by leading scholars of Daphne du Maurier and the female gothic.

Selected for presentation at the Literary London conference, hosted by the University of London on July 17 through 19, were Alexandra Rose’s “Gardens of Earthly Delights: Sites of Sexual Deviance in Eliza Haywood’s London” and Hillary Rector’s “For Pleasure, Profit and Propriety: Social Criminality and Community in ‘The Importance of Being Ernest.’” The Literary London conference featured addresses and papers by international scholars on representations of London in literature and other media.

Students, Faculty Conduct Research in Summer Scholars Program

Paul Chenoweth
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Summer_Scholars_13_2 (2)The College of Arts and Sciences’ Summer Scholar Communities hosted a poster session was Aug. 30 in the Hitch Science Building for students and faculty to showcase their work.

Summer Scholar Communities is a program in the that blends the structure of a summer session class with the format of a research team focused on a faculty-designed research project and differs from traditional undergraduate research in that students and faculty from various disciplines across the CAS meet regularly over the course of the summer to share results, to learn from each other, to present their research findings and discuss challenges and commonalities. The students will present their findings at Belmont’s Science Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS) on Dec. 2.

Dr. Darlene Panvini, professor of biology, mentored a group of biology and environmental science majors investigating the “Impact of Exotic Plants on Abundance, Diversity, and Distribution of Earthworms.” The students participating were Sarah Gilmore, Kari Morse and Megan Swaine.  Little is known about the occurrence of earthworms in areas invaded by exotic plants, though the “biomass of invasive shrubs has been associated with biomass of exotic earthworms in eastern North America” (EREN proposal).  Earthworms play a crucial role in decomposition of leaf litter and the regeneration of carbon in the carbon cycle. The presence or absence of earthworms can affect nutrient cycling and levels of biodiversity in ecosystems.  In some instances, the presence of exotic earthworms has contributed to the loss of rare plant species and reduced seedling survival. Humans are the major vectors for earthworms; earthworm, exotic plant, and human movement “have been associated with land-use patterns, disturbance, and deer herbivory” (EREN proposal).  Not clear, however, is the impact of invasive shrubs on earthworm diversity or the vice versa effect.

Summer_Scholars_13_1 (2)Dr. John Niedzwiecki, associate professor of biology, mentored a group of biology and environmental science majors including Court Reese, Valini Ramcharan and Kyle Sullinger along with Hannah Martin. Court worked to determine the relationship between two populations of salamanders by comparing mitochondrial DNA. Valini and Kyle studied the effects of size and predator cues on snail behavior.  Hannah’s project used Geographic Information System to collect data about local environments.

Dr. Lori McGrew, associate professor of biology, had a group of biology majors who worked with zebra fish to explore the effect of different compounds on memory and anxiety in the fish. Two students, Allison McCoy and Jen Myer, used antidepressants to treat the fish and then measured the effect on the fish’s working memory. Katie Farrell tested the homeopathic compound, Bacopa, to determine whether this herbal supplement had an effect on working memory or anxiety in zebra fish. Finally, Jordan Gann measured anxiety in zebra fish following their exposure to the pesticide glyphosate.

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