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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Psychology Faculty, Students Present Research

Faculty and students in the Department of Psychological Science recently attended and presented their research at the 84th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association. The 2013 meeting “Consuming Psychological Science” was held in New York City, N.Y., on March 1- 4.  The event was attended by almost 2,900 people. Dr. Linda Jones, Dr. Lonnie Yandell, Dr. Seraphine Shen-Miller, Dr. William Bailey and Dr. Pete Giordano each served as supervisors to the various student research projects and attended meetings with students. One of the research projects was recognized with an undergraduate research award.

After the conference, one of the students commented that the trip was “easily the most amazing trip of my life.”  Students who attended and presented their research are: Abby Hawkins, Amelia Brown, Andrey Borisyuk, Angel Bennett, Jane Owen Robbins, Justin Theiss, MacKenzie Young, Savannah Ladage, Kevin Dole, Brianna Howard, Marie Preptit, Jessica Kimber, Jasmine Jarupat, Devon Watts, Shelby Wall, Monica Roufael, Jessie Austin, Will Hobbs and Alex Morgado.

Mathematics Faculty, Students Participate at Regional Conference

Dr. Andy Miller, Dr. Robin Lovgren and Dr. Sarah Ann Fleming, of the Department of Mathematics, took a group of 16 mathematics majors and minors to Winthrop University, Rock Hill, S.C. for the Southeastern Regional Mathematical Association of America (MAA-SE) conference on March 15-16.  The Southeastern Section of the MAA (MAA-SE) advances the mathematical sciences within the states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee by considering mathematical professionals at all levels in the design of its program and activities, with a special emphasis on the collegiate level. The annual conference includes presentations of mathematical research by faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students along with activities for undergraduate students. Miller serves as the Tennessee State director of the MAA-SE.

During the conference, eight Belmont students competed in the Math Jeopardy Tournament. The team composed of Annie Brunelle, Sara Chung, Marcella Noorman and Zach O’Brien made it to the second round. Fleming and Lovgren assisted with the Jeopardy tournament. Miller assisted with judging the undergraduate presentations.

Miller also gave a talk entitled Credit Cards: A Simple(?) Application of Difference Equations. Lovgren gave a talk entitled Improving Student Evaluations in a Freshman Level Gen. Ed. Math Course – One Example.

 

Dickens Named 2013 Nashvillian of the Year

Marty DickensEaster Seals Tennessee announced recently that Marty Dickens, chair of Belmont’s Board of Trustees, was named the 2013 Nashvillian of the Year. Easter Seals chief Rita Baumgartner, along with Board Chair Mike Campbell and past recipient Aubrey Harwell Jr., made the announcement on Jan. 29 at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce office.

Dickens will be honored at the 22nd annual Nashvillian of the Year Celebration on May 16 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown with event proceeds benefiting Easter Seals Tennessee, an organization dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities live with greater independence. Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher was named Nashvillian of the Year in 2010.

In addition to his role at Belmont, Dickens serves as the chairman of the Convention Center Authority and is spearheading the construction of the Music City Center. The former president of BellSouth/AT&T Tennessee, he also leads the YMCA of Middle Tennessee board, is lead director of Avenue Bank, a member of Genesco’s board, a member of the board of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of TN and chairman of the board of Harpeth Companies. He is a past board chair of both the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has also served on the boards of a number of charitable and community organizations including the Boy Scouts, Adventure Science Center, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Nashville Symphony.

Since 1993, the Nashvillian of the Year award has been given to Nashville’s notable leaders who best exemplify the qualities of leadership that ensure that Nashville continues to be a better place to live. Each year past honorees select the recipient of the Nashvillian of the Year award using criteria including individual contributions to the community, philanthropic causes and business leadership. For information about attending the Nashvillian of the Year Celebration, contact Cathy Breeland at Easter Seals Tennessee, 615-292-6640 ext. 11.

Peetz to Present at Athletes, Social Change Forum

Dr. Ted Peetz, assistant professor of sport science, will make a presentation with graduate student Kelley Cash at the Muhammad Ali Center – Athletes and Social Change Forum in Louisville, Ky. on March 29. The conference examines advocacy, education, and research on the role and contribution of athletes toward and within social change and human rights development. The title of the presentation is Creating A Legacy: Promoting a Socially Conscious Athlete. The presentation will include research on the strategies used by marketing firms utilizing former professional athletes in the development and management of charitable foundations.

 

 

Huddleston Has Article Published

Holly Huddleston, instructor of sport science, had an article published, “Corporate Fitness Members’ Perceptions of the Environment and Their Intrinsic Motivation” in the journal Revista de Psicologia del Deporte, in 2012 (Volume 21).  The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship of employees’ perceptions of the motivational climate in their corporate fitness center to their intrinsic motivation toward exercise, and their perceptions of their employer’s concern for their health behaviors.  Coauthors were Dr. Mary Fry and Theresa Brown, of the University of Kansas.

 

MAT Alumna Honored as Teacher of the Year

Master of Arts in Teaching alumna, Lauren Binkley (’10), has been honored as Teacher of the Year at Glencliff Elementary School, located in south Nashville. Binkley has been teaching for five years at the elementary school level. At Glencliff Elementary many of her students are not native English speakers and are enrolled as English Language Learners (ELL).

Of being honored by her school Binkley writes, “It is important to me to work hard enough to provide students, that may not have the same opportunities as others, all the resources and opportunities and learning experiences that I can possibly provide. I love being a small part of closing the achievement gap for students that society often says can’t learn in the same way or at the same rate as others. Teaching brings me so much joy – I can’t really imagine doing anything else now.” (image – lauren_binkley.jpg)

 

Alpha Epsilon Delta Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House

Members of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) Premedical Honor Society participated in a service project at the Ronald McDonald House in Nashville on March 17. The students prepared a meal for the families and stayed and ate lunch with them. AED is a national premedical organization. As the name suggests, students in this group focus on entering allopathic medical school via leadership, education and philanthropic opportunities. This new Belmont student chapter was started in Fall 2012. For more information on AED, click here.

The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville is to “keep families close” by providing essential resources and a “home away from home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals. Programs run by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, the 32-bedroom Ronald McDonald House and the Ronald McDonald Family Room on the fifth floor of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, offer a place for parents and family members to relax, refresh and experience the comforts of home while staying close to their sick child. For more information about volunteer opportunities at the Ronald McDonald House, click here.

Shin Presents at SRLA Conference

Dr. Stephen Shin, assistant professor of sport science, recently attended and presented at the annual Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA) conference in Denver, Co. Shin, as a co-author with other colleagues from the University of New Mexico presented the topic of “Copyright Issues in the Korean eSports under the Online Piracy Prevention Clause of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and South Korea” at the oral presentation session.

eSports, an abbreviation of electronic sports, is a virtual leisure activity which has been developed through the Internet or Local Area Network (LAN). Since the influence of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect on and after March 15, 2012 between the United States and South Korea, in terms of intellectual property rights, game development companies such as Blizzard and EA Sports. have been protected from the video game piracy. However, the involvement of game users in eSports has been decreased with the restraint of communication freedom over the Internet even regarding legitimate sharing activities. This presentation reviewed the extent to which the Online Piracy Prevention Clause of the FTA has been applied to the game piracy situations, discussed how it has affected the Korean eSports industry, and concluded by making suggestions that protect the intellectual property rights of game development companies and concurrently promote the eSports industry.

Belmont Breaks Ground on New Academic and Dining Services Complex

Dining services partner Sodexo invests in project; Extensive campus growth contributes to University’s significant economic impact in Middle Tennessee

This afternoon Belmont University broke ground on a new academic and dining services complex that is anticipated to cost $55 million, bringing the University’s total investment in construction projects since 2003 to a staggering $442 million. In addition, campus dining services provider Sodexo announced today that the company is investing in the construction as part of their ongoing partnership with Belmont University.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Like all of our projects, this new complex is being designed to add to the quality of life and the improvement of learning for the entire Belmont community, especially our students. I’m proud that these additions to our physical campus also impact our local economy and culture, creating thousands of jobs right here in Nashville and further cementing our city’s reputation as the Athens of the South.”

The new dining services complex will be one part of a four-story 116,000-square-foot building, and it will provide a seating capacity that is 2.5 times larger than the current campus cafeteria. Beyond supporting the construction costs, Sodexo also announced today that it would provide 20 full meal plans at no cost to support the University’s “Bridges to Belmont” program that was officially launched at an event this morning.

In discussing Sodexo’s 20-years as Belmont’s dining services provider, Sodexo Senior Vice President Fred Formichella said, “From day one we’ve been considered a partner, not a vendor like what sometimes occurs at other campuses. [Belmont’s] vision and mission talk about excellence, and you really work to be the best at what you do. We at Sodexo get that, and we look forward to being your partner for many years to come.”

Belmont Vice President and Chief of Staff Dr. Susan West added, “Focus groups were conducted with students, faculty and staff to get their ideas about dining options and the overall aesthetics for this new facility. That information was compiled and shared with the parties responsible for the building’s design. I am proud to report that, due to those good efforts, our campus community will benefit greatly from improved dining services in this facility. Anyone with additional suggestions or input is welcome to contact me as this project begins to take shape.”

Classrooms and faculty/staff offices will comprise approximately 70 percent of the building. Several academic programs—including music business and media studies—have been invited to submit proposals for how occupying the new space could creatively enhance their efforts or provide opportunities for greater innovation within their units.

The new facility will also include the construction of a 1,000 space underground parking garage. With this addition, Belmont will have added a grand total of more than 4,800 new parking spaces to campus since 2003. Site preparation has begun, and blasting for the garage is scheduled to begin April 1. The complex, which is aiming for LEED certification, is expected to open for the fall semester of 2015.

In addition to this project, Belmont continues to invest in the physical campus to enhance the resources the institution can offer its growing student body. The University reached a record-breaking enrollment of 6,647 students last fall, more than double the counts from a mere decade ago.

New Belmont Initiative Provides Full Scholarships, Educational Support to 25 Metro School Students

Bridges to Belmont program immerses local students in summer program to foster academic success

Thanks to a new full scholarship program from Belmont University, 25 Metro Nashville high school seniors will receive the opportunity to attend college next year. The Bridges to Belmont program is designed to enroll high potential students from Metro Nashville Public Schools who may not have previously been able to consider Belmont as an option.

Belmont University President Bob Fisher said, “We believe every young person has potential for great success with the biggest challenge often being simply the absence of opportunity. This is Belmont’s attempt to step up and provide that opportunity to high potential students here in Nashville. Of all the projects we’ve undertaken in the past decade, I can’t think of any that make me more proud to be at Belmont.”

In addition to the full scholarships, the Bridges to Belmont program will focus on creating a learning and service environment to empower students’ personal passion to meet the needs of the world. Bridge students will live and work on campus the summer prior to enrollment while attending an intensive institute that will allow them to take full advantage of the opportunities the college environment will offer. Programming will focus on quantitative reasoning, writing, public speaking skills and research methods as well as on creating a community of learners. The summer immersion program also will include community service and social activities for participants.

The pilot Bridges to Belmont program is open to students from Maplewood and Stratford High Schools for the 2013-2014 academic year and eventually could expand to include other Metro Nashville Public Schools. The charter Bridge class members will be nominated by principals at each high school. Preferred candidates for the 25 available slots will be taking a college prep curriculum and feature strong recommendations regarding academic motivation and personal character. (Click here to view video highlights of Tuesday’s press conference.)

“The Bridges to Belmont program will be life-changing for the students selected,” said Metro Schools’ Director Dr. Jesse Register. “The opportunity to attend Belmont tuition-free, as well as participate in the summer transition program, is a tremendous example of how the community can and does support our schools and our students. Belmont is a great partner for Metro Schools, and today’s announcement is another example of how this partnership is bringing lasting benefits to individual students and our community. I want to thank President Fisher and everyone who has worked to make this program a reality.”

After state and federal grant assistance is applied, Belmont University will provide the remaining funds to ensure Bridge students have a full financial package to cover tuition, room, board and books.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to partner with Belmont University. Belmont has a rich heritage and is distinguished as an institution where service, compassion and courage are exemplified in their values. I truly believe that the academic design for this program is ‘forward thinking’ and will promote diversity as well as bridge the gap for first-generation college students across the city,” said Maplewood Comprehensive High School Principal Dr. Ron Woodard.

Stratford STEM Magnet High School Executive Principal Michael Steele added, “This gift, this amazing gift, is an opportunity of a lifetime for these students, and I am thrilled for our students. Belmont is an exceptional institution, and these students are being blessed. One day they will look back and thank God for this life changing gift.”

Bridges to Belmont is the result of a deliberate effort on the part of Belmont’s administration to engage inner-city students with the University. Belmont senior leaders along with University enrollment and academic officers have met with MNPS principals and admission counselors during the past several months to establish the foundations for the program. Bridges to Belmont also reflects a continuing effort to provide higher education to students in Davidson County as Belmont strives to be Nashville’s University. In 2007, Belmont established the E.S. Rose Park and Community Outreach Scholarships, and there are 11 current Belmont students—all from Davidson County—who are benefiting from those efforts.

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