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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Belmont University Announced as 2021 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Award Winner

Hope Buckner
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Belmont University Announced as 2021 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Award Winner

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Honors Higher Education Institutions, Educators and Students Who Increased Student Voter Engagement During the 2020 Elections 

Today, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge hosted its third biennial awards ceremony to recognize select higher education institutions, educators and students for their extraordinary work in student voter engagement during the 2020 presidential election. Belmont University received the 2021 Gold Seal for student voter participation, despite the challenges that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 presidential election engaged the largest and most diverse group of college students in U.S. history. More than 840 institutions enrolling close to nine million students participate in the ALL IN Challenge.

The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college students according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a research study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education (IDHE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. IDHE reported that 66 percent of college students voted in the 2020 election, a 14 point increase from 2016.

“The rise in voter participation and engagement for college students in last year’s presidential election amidst a global pandemic was tremendous and will undoubtedly be tied to the tireless efforts of the dedicated students, faculty, administrators, and partner organizations that are part of the ALL IN Challenge network,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “The hard work of these trailblazing honorees will help support many of the country’s future leaders in fulfilling the equitable, engaged vision of democracy to which we aspire.”

About the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge 

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is a national, nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. ALL IN strives for a more inclusive democracy—one in which all voices are heard. We believe that higher education plays a role in graduating students into voters and in closing electoral participation gaps that persist by race and age. Through an intentionally designed program—which provides structure, support, and recognition—ALL IN strengthens college and university efforts to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. Ensuring that students are registered to vote and participate in all elections is a key component of our work.

Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses at https://allinchallenge.org/awards-ceremony.

Belmont Names Ballroom to Honor Alumnus Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley

April Hefner
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Belmont Names Ballroom to Honor Alumnus Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley

As part of the Inauguration Celebration for new Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones, alumnus Brad Paisley was honored at a reception that occurred before “A Night of Stories and Songs,” an evening that tied into the inaugural theme to “Let Hope Abound.” Prior to the concert, Jones revealed that a ballroom in the campus’ new Fisher Center for the Performing Arts would be named to recognize Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley for the good work they are doing with The Store, a nonprofit they founded two years ago, as well as to express Belmont’s gratitude for the endowed scholarship fund the couple created and the strong example Brad sets for students following in his footsteps.

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley honored during Inauguration celebrations at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, November 4, 2021.

In unveiling the ballroom name, Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones said, “Brad and Kim together represent so much of what is wonderful about Belmont. To paraphrase a song that Brad has sung, ‘When we all get where we are going’ we’ll all be grateful and for the better because we’ve been associated with Kimberly Williams-Paisley and with Brad Paisley. This remarkable facility will long be associated with the legacy of both of their contributions to Belmont.”

Brad Paisley said, “I look around now at what Belmont is doing, and it’s incredible. When I was going here, I just wanted to find my place in the Nashville music business, but now you can almost do anything you want in the world once you get a degree here. That impacts our charity in a way we never envisioned when we first pitched this idea—It can be so much more than a grocery store. I just want to use us as a school and as a charity to do good things in the world.”

The Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley Ballroom can be utilized for acoustic and amplified performances, as well as a rehearsal space for performances on the main stage of the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, a stunning new Nashville venue which was officially dedicated in September.

A Night of Stories and Songs with Brad Paisley and Harry Chapman at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, November 4, 2021.

Through the course of the Nov. 4 private concert event hosted by retired broadcasting legend and former Belmont Director of Special Projects and Major Gifts Harry Chapman, Paisley shared an update on The Store, a referral-based store that seeks to empower low income families in the area with access to free, nutritional groceries. The Store is located on Belmont’s campus and offers free wraparound services staffed by University faculty and students to aid families with financial, legal and healthcare-related needs. Since opening at the beginning of the pandemic in Spring 2020, The Store has served more than 1.5 million meals.

The Brad Paisley Endowed Scholarship, established in 2012, provides financial assistance for a deserving student with demonstrated need who is studying in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. In 2003, Paisley received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Belmont. A 1995 graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Paisley majored in music business at what was then the Mike Curb School of Music Business. During his Belmont career, Paisley himself benefitted from a scholarship supported by Vince Gill and has long been committed to “paying it forward” to another deserving student.

Jeanette Porcello, a Belmont alumna and current A&R Manager at Atlantic Records, was a Brad Paisley Scholarship recipient during her senior year on campus, one of 70 students the Paisley Scholarship Endowment has supported since it was established in 2012. Porcello noted, “In Brad’s book he wrote, ‘you could say the music is my life but a better way to put it is to say that music has given me life’… Music has truly given me life as well. Thank you Brad for investing in students like me and helping them reach their full potential.”

About Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley has earned his place in country music history as one of the genre’s most talented and decorated male solo artists. Over the past 21 years, his songwriting and unmatched showmanship have won him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards and 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, among many others. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 of his 24 No. 1 hits, and in 2008 became the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 singles. The 2010 CMA Entertainer of the Year’s past works have amassed over 4.6 billion career streams. Paisley continues to collaborate with Peyton Manning in a multi-year ad campaign with Nationwide insurance. In 2015, the global superstar partnered with Boot Barn® to develop Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley, an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts and woven shirts. A prolific entertainer, Paisley’s first prime-time special, Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special, aired on ABC in December 2019 and has garnered over 18.1 million viewers to date. Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are co-founders of nonprofit organization The Store, a free-referral based grocery store, which aims to empower  low-income individuals and families in the Nashville area. For more information, visit www.thestore.org.

Junior Savannah Stover Published in Literary Journal Nota Bene

Charlotte Maracina
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Junior Savannah Stover Published in Literary Journal Nota Bene

Savannah Stover, a junior public relations and corporate communications transfer student, was recently published in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s national literary journal, Nota Bene. Stover’s essay “In My Death, I was Born” competed against 440 submissions to be one of 28 published stories. 

Stover’s journey is unlike most others. After her husband of nearly twenty years tragically passed in 2018, Stover became a single mother to seven children. Shortly after her husband’s passing, Stover returned to school. Starting at Volunteer State Community College then transferring to Belmont this semester, Stover discovered a new passion: writing. Through her poetry and short stories, Stover found a way to fully express herself and process her grief. 

To read more about Stover’s recent accomplishment, visit the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society website. 

Belmont Professor, Alumni Raise Money and Awareness for Nashville Dolphins

Charlotte Maracina
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Belmont Professor, Alumni Raise Money and Awareness for Nashville Dolphins

On October 17, Dr. Natalie Michaels, professor in Belmont’s School of Occupational Therapy, hosted and performed in a musical fundraising event at Kat’s Bar and Grill in Mount Juliet, Tennessee in support of the Nashville Dolphins. Occupational therapy alumna Dr. Roya Rezadoost and psychology alumna Audrey Thresher also sang for the cause.

“We always have a good time at this event, especially with our talented Belmont graduates,” said Michaels. “This year was extremely successful. When we do this event, everything in the tip jar goes directly to the charity, and this year we raised more than ever before. We were thrilled with the turnout for this fundraiser, thanks to Kat Reed of Kat’s Bar and Grill, Rick Michaels for his never ending support and to our awesome graduates. Belmont graduates rock!”

The Nashville Dolphins are a group of men and women, under the direction of Brenda Vroon, who teach water safety and swimming to children and adults of all ages with Down Syndrome and other special needs. Founded by Beth Scruggs and Dotty Sutter, the organization provides swimming instructions to this population at no charge to the participants, so it relies on volunteers and donations. Not only have the Nashville Dolphins decreased the number of deaths from accidental drowning in this population, they have had a number of their participants go on to swim in the Special Olympics.

Michaels hosts the event each year, performing her own music and songs from Whitney Houston to Portugal the Man. The event also featured Jim Martin, a guitarist and singer who has been supporting this venture for years, and Josie Award-winning artist Judy Paster, who sang some of her own inspirational and impassioned music. 

BOLD Hosts ‘Leadership Lately’

Charlotte Maracina
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BOLD Hosts ‘Leadership Lately’

Each semester the Belmont Office of Leadership Development–BOLD– hosts “Leadership Lately,” an opportunity for Belmont students to learn how BOLD leadership competencies are demonstrated in the community and throughout the world. Nearly 100 student leaders used the opportunity this fall to learn from author David Hutchens and Belmont alumna I’Ashea Myles.

Hutchens discussed the importance of story-telling in leadership and shared how storytelling drives companies such as Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, GE, L’Oreal and Nike to the top of their industries. In his workshop, Hutchens was able to not only tell his story, but show students the importance of telling their own. Hutchens pointed to a quote from Ghandi saying, “It’s impossible to hate a person whose story you have heard.” Telling stories allows people to understand who they are and what they believe. Hutchens also demonstrated how we make connections through storytelling as it empowers the people we are leading to have a voice and share their own stories. Leaders who use stories to express the importance of a thing have deeper and longer lasting impact.

In the second Leadership Lately session, with not an empty chair in the room, students heard from I’Ashea Myles, Belmont undergraduate and Law School alumna. Myles skillfully communicated with students about the importance of taking risks, building relationships and stepping outside of their comfort zones. “Break the glass,” she exclaimed. She shared her story of being a lawyer in construction law in Nashville and used data, art and progressive leadership books to detail why it is important for students to be opportunistic, especially when no one else has raised their hand to step up. Myles explained that she wants to make “Nashville better for everyone.”  It was evident that she lives and embodies this philosophy in her everyday life as she is currently a judicial candidate for Davidson County Chancery Court III. With her encouraging words and empowering demeanor, Myles related to the students as she was once in the shoes they currently walk in. Dozens of student leaders stayed long after the session ended to express their appreciation for Myles and her personal leadership story.

Hutchens speaking to students at "Leadership Lately"
Hutchens speaking to students at “Leadership Lately”

Students may attend BOLD’s final events for the fall semester: Tower Talks on November 10 at 10 a.m. in Beaman B,  PULSE Student Leadership Advance on November 13 at the Nelson Andrews Leadership Center and, in partnership with the Massey College of Business Executive Learning Networks, the Next Level Leadership Conference on November 16.

Students may email bold@belmont.edu to learn more about participating in these experiences to earn a co-curricular certificate in leadership through BOLD.

2021 Next Level Conference Itinerary Announced

Charlotte Maracina
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2021 Next Level Conference Itinerary Announced

Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University will present the third-annual Next Level Conference on November 16. Developed in response to the rising need to explore, discuss and support women in business and leadership roles, this half-day conference, open to all business executives, will feature keynote speaker Carol Rollie Flynn and two 1-hour long workshop sessions, covering a wide range of relevant leadership topics.

Jack C. Massey College of Business is honored to curate and present a conference focusing pointedly on women in the workplace. Belmont’s Director of External Relations & Executive Learning Networks Jill Robinson said the conference’s mission is to educate, advocate and promote women in business, women in leadership and women forging and strengthening their careers.

“In its third year, the conference remains dedicated to bringing this conversation to the broader Middle Tennessee business community,” she said. “As we celebrate executive women in business and encourage diversity in leadership, we invite both women and men to join us for an exciting day of learning and collaboration.”

Keynote speaker Carol Rollie Flynn will present “You Can Do It! Lessons of Empowerment from a Life in the Clandestine Service” drawing on her experience as an undercover CIA officer and will discuss why women get stuck as well as provide new approaches and strategies to attain personal and professional growth.

This year’s conference will formally begin at 12:30 p.m. with an optional, add-on morning wellness workshop beforehand. The schedule is as follows:

10:45 a.m. – Registration for morning workshop participants only

11:15 a.m. – MORNING EXPERIENTIAL WELLNESS WORKSHOP

12:30 p.m. – Registration, Refreshments, and Networking

1:00 p.m. – Opening Remarks,  Reading from the Nashville Youth Poet Laureate, and Introduction of Keynote

1:15 p.m. – KEYNOTE SPEAKER CAROL ROLLIE FLYNN

2:15 p.m. – Break

2:30 p.m. – FIRST BREAKOUT SESSION

3:30 p.m. – Break

3:45 p.m. – SECOND BREAKOUT SESSION

4:45 p.m. – Break & Closing Remarks

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5:45 p.m. – Reception at Gresham Smith

The breakout sessions will be led by many impressive speakers, including several Belmont faculty and staff as well as First Lady of Belmont and Senior Fellow Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones.

Below is a sample of the breakout sessions available:

Morning Wellness Workshop

Choose from three sessions that will get your body flowing and your blood pumping! Renew and refresh with a one-hour mind-body wellness yoga session (great for beginners through advanced yogis), learn self-defense techniques through the ASSERT ESD Program, or take a walk around the University and learn how synthesizing mindful walking and journaling can be a radical strategy that leads to deeper ways of caring for ourselves, our institutions and the world at large.

Ethical Living and Leading: Finding Your True North with Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones

Are you tempted to “love things and use people rather than use things and love people?” Are your relationships transactional rather than transformational? In this seminar, Rev. Jones will discuss how to make ethical decisions, cultivate wisdom and discernment and lead with integrity in the 21st century. 

Crisis, Character and Resilience

Hear from entrepreneur and industry expert Perri duGard Owens regarding her professional experience and advice on how attitude and perspective – through adversity – can reveal, cultivate and empower personal character. Her past and future shape her journey towards building constant resiliency and can help individuals or organizations achieve positive perspective and outcomes to emerge on the other side of a crisis.

Pouring from a Full Cup: Preventing Burn Out, Creating a Self-Care Plan, and Setting Healthy Boundaries

Sustaining our work requires sustaining ourselves. This session will dive into creating healthy boundaries in the workplace and setting examples for workplace culture, practices for removing limiting beliefs and habits that lead to burn out, and developing a personalized self-care plan to revitalize your life, your work, and your energy!

Intersectional Allyship: How Women Can be Everyday Allies of Women

Diversity is critical to the innovation and growth of any business. However, diversity isn’t enough. To leverage the impact of difference in an organization there must be an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. How are you contributing to an inclusive culture for equity in the workplace? Allyship is a skill that leaders and teams can leverage to advance inclusion and equity goals, build an inclusive culture, and at your organization and within your community. Attendees of this session will learn: why intersectional allyship is important; what allyship is and what it is not; actions for impactful allyship.

These are just a few of the many breakout session options available. To purchase tickets and see a detailed list of breakout sessions and session leaders, please visit the Next Level Conference website.

Belmont President Greg Jones Honors Wife with Creation of Susan Pendleton Jones Endowment for First Generation College Students

Hope Buckner
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Belmont President Greg Jones Honors Wife with Creation of Susan Pendleton Jones Endowment for First Generation College Students

Gifts from Jones’ family and matching donation to create $1 million+ fund to support individuals who are first in their families to pursue higher education

To kick off the week designed to celebrate his inauguration as the president of Belmont University, Dr. Greg Jones is pointing a spotlight on the partner who is sharing the journey, his wife Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones. Long involved in leadership and board roles with a variety of community organizations and foundations in their former home in North Carolina, Susan’s volunteer efforts have been focused on supporting children and families, and she is already seeking avenues to make a similar impact in Tennessee. She is also a passionate supporter of education, and first-generation students in particular, drawing on her own experience as a first-generation college student. Thanks to gifts from Greg Jones, the Jones’ family and a University match, the $1 million+ Susan Pendleton Jones Endowment for First Generation Students at Belmont University will support individuals who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

“Susan is more than my partner, my spouse and my best friend,” said Greg Jones. “She is a north star for our family, providing the wisdom and encouragement to enable us all to set—and stay—the course in our personal, vocational and spiritual lives. Her sense of discernment, ministry and leadership with others is matched only by her kindness and humility. Creating this endowed fund in her name feels like a perfect way to honor her and inspire more young people to experience a transformative education that will empower their own good work in the world.”

The endowed fund will be used to support first generation college students through scholarships. There is a special focus on students coming to Belmont from community college experiences, honoring Susan’s mother’s journey late in life of attending and graduating from community college herself.

Prior to moving to Nashville, Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones served for several years as associate dean of ministerial formation at Duke Divinity School. She also has served as director of field education. Her teaching responsibilities at Duke have included courses on leadership, forgiveness and reconciliation, and the pastor’s vocation, team-taught with her husband. She and Greg have co-authored essays and articles as well as two books in the “Living the Good Life Together” series. Additionally, she was the project coordinator for Duke Divinity School’s award-winning 2005 building addition, which includes Goodson Chapel and the Westbrook Building. Rev. Jones’ role at Belmont University will play to similar strengths—in her volunteer position as Senior Fellow for Christ-Centered Visioning, she will support the President’s Office through a focus on projects like BASIC and The Store as well as through investing in the internal Belmont community to foster deeper, richer connections and vocational discernment.

A retired elder in the Western North Carolina (WNC) Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Susan has served pastorates in North Carolina and Maryland and as the former United Methodist campus minister at Duke. Susan is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University and received her Master’s of Divinity from Duke. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Virginia Wesleyan.

Susan and Greg are the parents of Nate (and Amy), Ben (and Allison) and Sarah (and Joey Fala), and the grandparents of Clara Susan Jones, Audrey Catherine Jones and Sophie Elizabeth Jones.

Belmont Faculty, Others Published in Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Faculty, Others Published in Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education

Dr. Matthew Heard, associate professor of biology and Rob Fisher Endowed Chair of Environmental Science, Dr. Christopher Barton, associate professor and chair of biology, Ms. Rachel Hongo, Belmont alumna from the class of 2019, and Dr. Victoria Frost, assistant professor of biology at Winthrop University, co-authored an article entitled “Sourcing antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in aquatic ecosystems: A combined laboratory and field module” in the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education. 

This article describes a set of activities that combine environmental science, microbiology and molecular biology to assess water quality in urban rivers and lakes. 

The Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education is a publication of the American Society for Microbiology and offers original, previously unpublished, peer-reviewed articles that foster scholarly teaching, and provide readily adoptable resources in biology education at the undergraduate, graduate, professional (e.g., medical school), K-12 outreach and informal education level. 

The article is available at https://journals.asm.org/eprint/FURRHS3EIPYWPXM6YDB7/full.

Belmont University Announces Inauguration Celebration Schedule for New President Dr. Greg Jones

Hope Buckner
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Belmont University Announces Inauguration Celebration Schedule for New President Dr. Greg Jones

Two-day celebration will feature speakers, musical guests, service opportunities, Nashville tours, inauguration ceremony and more

Nearly six months into his new role, Dr. Greg Jones will officially be inaugurated as Belmont University’s newest President during a two-day celebration held on Belmont’s campus Nov. 4-5. Dr. Jones’ official inauguration ceremony will be held on Friday, November 5 at 2:30 p.m.  

The celebration’s theme, Let Hope Abound, encompasses Jones’ first 100+ days at Belmont and the vision he has set for his inaugural year. Created around his commitment to five ways of being: Hope Inspiring, Character Forming, Future Shaping, Community Engaging and Bridge Building, the theme exemplifies Jones’ approach to leading Belmont into the coming years.    

“My focus over the past six months has been on hope, a sense of hope rooted in God and his promises,” Jones said. “And with the challenges we have collectively faced over the last 18 months, there is no question that our world is in need of a significant sense of rejuvenation, peace and hope. At Belmont, we are channeling that sense in all we do—every action, behavior, thought, word and deed. It’s who we are, and Susan and I are excited to officially begin our time on Belmont’s campus with a celebration that’s rooted in these very ideas.”  

The events begin on Thursday, Nov. 4 in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts and include: 

  • 8:00-9:15 a.m. — The Role of Higher Education in Engaging and Building Communities Discussion
    • Panel event featuring area university leaders including Dr. Daniel Diermeier (Vanderbilt University), Dr. Vann Newkirk (Fisk University), Dr. Shanna Jackson (Nashville State Community College) and Dr. Candice McQueen (Lipscomb University) on the role of colleges and universities in their local communities. Moderated by USA Today Network/Tennessean Opinion & Engagement Editor David Plazas. 
  • 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Addressing our Community’s Health Care Challenges Discussion 
    • A panel of health care experts moderated by Senator Bill Frist and featuring President & CEO at Siloam Health Dr. Morgan Wills, Senior Director of Health Policy and Advocacy Kinika Young, Chair of Internal Medicine at Meharry Medical College Dr. Millard Collins, CEO of Russell Street Ventures Brad Smith and Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Diversity at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University Dr. Karen Lewis will discuss ways to address health care disparities and inequities in our community. 

Friday’s events (all held in the Fisher Center except Dr. Jones’ official inauguration ceremony) include: 

  • 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. — Character, Purpose and the Entrepreneurial Mindset Panel
    • Discussion will feature leaders from philanthropic foundations including Jim Rahn (Kern Family Foundation), Heather Dill (John Templeton Foundation) and Clay Robbins (Lilly Endowment)
  • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.— Promoting an Entrepreneurial Spirit Panel
    • A conversation between Dr. Jones, Global Leader of Strategy and Leadership at PwC Dr. Blair Sheppard, Founding Partner of Jumpstart Health Investors and Jumpstart Nova Mr. Marcus Whitney and Dean of the Jack C. Massey College of Business Dr. Sarah Gardial on what it takes to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit to drive innovation and change.
  • 11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. — The Power of Faith in Reweaving the Social Fabric
    • President Jones and former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam discuss the role faith can play in healing a divided world
  • 1:00 – 1:45 p.m.— Upon This Mountain Inaugural Chapel
    • Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones will bring a message of hope at this Chapel, preceding the official inauguration ceremony.
  • 1:45 – 2:15 p.m — Inaugural Carillon Concert
    • The Joneses son-in-law Joey Fala, an accomplished organist, will host a worship experience on the Bell Tower Carillon before Dr. Jones’ inauguration ceremony. 
  • 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. — Official Inauguration Ceremony: “Let Hope Abound—With All the Saints” 
    • The official ceremony, held in the Curb Event Center, will offer guests a worshipful, hopeful experience as Dr. Jones is formally inaugurated as President of Belmont University.  

An invitation-only Inauguration Celebration held at the Grand Hyatt will close the week’s events. For a full list of events, click here. 

“The entire Belmont community is delighted to officially welcome Dr. Greg Jones and his wife Susan to campus as President and First Lady through this multi-day inauguration cerebration,” said Belmont Board of Trustees Chairman Milton Johnson. “Since Greg’s first day on campus, his vision for this institution has been on display. He and Susan are dedicated to furthering Belmont’s work as a Christ-centered institution focused on training future leaders who are eager to make the world a better place.” 

The majority of the celebration’s events are open to the entire Belmont community with the exception of the Gala, which is invitation-only, and Thursday’s “Night of Hope Inspiring Stories,” which is completely reserved. 

For more information on Dr. Jones and his wife, Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones, click here. 

Belmont Physical Therapy Students Volunteer at Annual Sara Walker Run

Charlotte Maracina
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Belmont Physical Therapy Students Volunteer at Annual Sara Walker Run

On October 3, Belmont University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students volunteered at the annual Sara Walker Run to honor the life of a 2003 Belmont DPT alumna, Sara Pigg Walker. The Sara Walker Run is a fundraising event for various missions supported through the Sara Walker Foundation that are intended to help spread Walker’s message of hope to others through Jesus Christ.

This year marked the 12th Sara Walker Run, which takes place on the campus of Lipscomb University. The first Run occurred in April 2011 when Walker’s ‘Belmont PT family’ sought to find a way to raise funds for medical expenses to help Walker and her family when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Due to its huge success, and to continue to honor Walker, the annual Sara Walker Run continues today and serves as the Sara Walker Foundation’s main fundraising event.

Dr. Christi Williams, associate professor in the school of physical therapy and board member for the Sara Walker Foundation, shares Walker’s story with all incoming Belmont DPT students as she welcomes them into the ‘Belmont PT family’ and encourages them to help spread Walker’s message to others by participating in the event and/or volunteering to help with the Kids for Kids Fun Run. The student volunteers design various fun activities for the kids to participate in during the run. The Kids Fun Run was led by a group of Belmont DPT students while the other students created obstacles involving pool noodles, silly string, squirt guns and more.

The Sara Walker Foundation serves missions in Malawi, Ghana and Haiti, as well as locally at Belmont by sponsoring annual scholarships to Belmont DPT students.

To learn more about Walker’s story and the mission of the Sara Walker Foundation, click here.

There is still time to support this wonderful mission. Register for the Virtual Run and/or provide donations to the Sara Walker Foundation by following this link: https://sarawalkerfoundation.org/events/register-today/

Walker’s book, The Light Shines Through – A Story of Hope in the Midst of Suffering, can be found on Amazon. All proceeds from the book go to Sara’s two children for their college fund. 

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