Dr. Beth Hallmark, assistant professor of nursing and director of simulation for the College of Health Sciences, recently presented two workshops at the annual meeting of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning in Las Vegas, Nev.  The associations promotes research and disseminates evidence based practice standards for clinical simulation methodologies and learning environments.

Hallmark was a co-presenter in a session about implementing cost saving and waste reduction measures in simulation laboratories.  In addition, she was part of an expert panel of simulation coordinators for an advanced workshop providing an overview of operational management systems used in simulation, covering inventory, scheduling and development of policies and procedures.

Dr. Douglas Murray, professor of English, was one of the invited faculty at the inaugural Jane Austen Summer Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, June 27-30. He led four discussions about Pride and Prejudice and on the final day of the conference delivered an address entitled “The Eyes Have It:  Male and Female Gazes in Pride and Prejudice,” applying ideas from film theory to Austen’s novel.

Dr. Steve Robinson, associate professor of physics, recently had a paper published. “Optimizing Youth Baseball Batting Orders” was published in the Volume 12/2013/Edition 1 issue of International Journal of Computer Science in Sport.

The International Journal of Computer Science in Sport is a refereed electronic journal that is published biannually in association with the International Association of Computer Science in Sport. Research results with an emphasis on the application of Computer Science and Mathematics in supporting the development of theory and practice in sport are considered.

Belmont University’s Office of Communications and Office of University Marketing and Special Initiatives earned seven 2013 Tennessee College Public Relations Association Awards during the association’s June meeting in Cookeville, Tenn.  The awards were:

• Brochure/Flier bronze award for the College of Visual and Performing Arts mailer
• Postcard/Invitation bronze award for Christmas at Belmont
• Postcard/Invitation gold award for the President’s Concert
• Banners/Outdoor Media bronze award for the Country Music Marathon banner
• Reports silver award for the President’s Report
• Newsletter/Electronic silver award for In the Den
• Photography gold award for From Here to Anywhere

Belmont University hosted several Turkish law students and professors on campus this week. Eighteen Meliksah University students, their law school dean and a law professor stayed in Bruin Hills and listened to Belmont professors’ lectures on U.S. law and government. They also had several cultural activities and weekend visits to nearby Atlanta, Ga. and Chattanooga, Tenn.

“Why do we do this? To promote international education exchange, this is the soft diplomacy of international relations and it works,” said Kathryn Skinner, director of International Student Services. “They have had an amazing first time to Belmont and (the United States) getting to know how we live,  learn,work and play.”

The group has been friends of Belmont for some time. Belmont history professor Daniel Schafer has led Belmont students on study abroad trips to Kayseri, Turkey for three consecutive years to learn with Meliksah University students.