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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M.Ed. Alumnus Recognized as Apple Distinguished Educator

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Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) alumnus, Federico ‘Fredy’ Padovan (’12), was recognized as a 2013 Apple Distinguished Educator. The Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Program began in 1994, when Apple recognized K-12 and higher education pioneers who were using a variety of Apple products to transform teaching and learning in powerful ways. Today it has grown into a worldwide community of over 2,000 visionary educators and innovative leaders who are doing amazing things with technology in and out of the classroom. Padovan is one of sixty in the United States and one of two in the state of Florida to receive the recognition this year.

Padovan is the executive director of development and technology at Immaculata-La Salle High School, in Miami, Fla. In this role, Padovan ensures timely professional development for the teachers and students, while maximizing the use of technology devices across the curriculum. In addition, Padovan is the visionary behind the school’s 1:1 iPad program and iLearn@ILS, which also were recognized as one of 200 in the world as an Apple Distinguished Program.

Recently, he published a white paper titled “iPads Support 21st Century Curriculum,” which can be found on iBookstore. This summer he has plans to begin an iTeach Academy to train teachers on the use of iPads in the classroom. He works with many schools around Florida as they develop their iPad 1:1 programs and has spoken at many national conferences on the topic of educational technology. He also is applying for doctorate programs in educational technology for the fall and is considering a second master’s degree in educational leadership.

Belmont Expands Doctoral Program for Nurses

Belmont University School of Nursing announced today an expansion of its degree program for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to support national efforts to increase the number of nurse professionals prepared for advanced practice and leadership in the healthcare industry. The School is now accepting applications for fall enrollment to a BSN-to-DNP program which provides a direct pathway to the doctoral degree for registered nurses (RNs) who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The new program will prepare students for advanced practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) following three years of full-time study offered in a format friendly to working professionals.

Nursing has joined many other health professions—such as medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology and dentistry—to establish a practice doctorate following completion of the bachelor’s degree. Many national studies and reports have led nursing accrediting bodies to move toward this degree to help meet the demands created by the increasing complexities of health care, serious concerns with safety and quality in patient care and the changing landscape of healthcare reform.

“We believe the DNP will be the education necessary for future practice in the advanced role,” said Dr. Martha Buckner, associate dean for nursing in Belmont’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing. “This program will open doors in nursing practice, policy. and education that will become increasingly evident in the years ahead.”

Belmont previously initiated the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a post-master’s DNP offered to nurse practitioners who had already attained a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). This two-year program is offered in a unique format allowing working professionals from across the U.S. to complete the DNP and will continue as an option for individuals already certified as nurse practitioners.

The School will also continue to offer a master’s degree program preparing RNs for advanced practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner. “At some point soon the DNP will be the exclusive option to prepare for advanced practice,” said Dr. Leslie Higgins, director of graduate studies in nursing at Belmont, “but until then, we will continue to meet the needs of nurses who want to complete their advanced degree at the master’s level.”

Curb Event Center Announces April 21 Phillip Phillips Concert

Phillip PhillipsBelmont University’s Curb Event Center announced today that singer/songwriter and season 11 “American Idol” champion Phillip Phillips will appear in a headlining concert Sunday, April 21, at 7 p.m.

Tickets, which go on sale tomorrow, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m., are general admission and can be purchased for $25. Tickets can be purchased on-line by clicking here or at  www.ticketsnashville.com, by calling (615) 460-8500, or in person at the Curb Event Center box office (Monday – Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.).

The same day that Leesburg, Georgia-bred Phillip Phillips claimed his victory in the season 11 finale of “American Idol,” the 22-year-old songwriter/guitarist released “Home,” a debut single that showcases his rich, raspy vocals and masterful guitar skills. The track has since gone quadruple platinum and was used as the soundtrack for the 2012 U.S. Olympics Women’s Gymnastics team. Phillips released his debut album The World From the Side of the Moon in November where it debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and has already reached gold status. Phillips is currently enjoying a 20+ college headlining tour after opening earlier this year for Matchbox 20, and his second single “Gone Gone Gone” releases this month.

International Business Program Welcomes Sister Cities Students

As part of a global partnership between Nashville and cities across the world, Belmont hosted four Argentinean students during an exchange program this month.

The students from Universidad de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina immersed in campus life for almost three weeks by attending classes on entrepreneurship, economics and Spanish as well as several convocation lectures, the Country Music Showcase and a Bruins basketball game. They also visited several  local companies like Nissan, Bridgestone Firestone, Cat Financial, Tennessee Bun Company, Bongo Java and met with Metro Councilman Fabian Bedne, an Argentine himself, and Mayor Karl Dean.

“The overall goal of their visit is for them to understand the business and entrepreneurial  environment in Nashville. All the companies they visited are recognized as successful, active corporate citizens in the city,” said Entrepreneurship and Management Instructor José D. González. “It is a great benefit to our students to have the opportunity to interact and make friendships with people from other countries. Programs like this directly links to our mission to help students develop into global citizens. It would not surprise me if business relationships develop from this program.”

The exchange program is part of a growing relationship between Belmont and Universidad de Cuyo as part of Sister Cities Nashville, an organization that connects Nashvillians with friends around the world through exchanges, cultural programs and partnerships. Nashville’s other Sister Cities include Edmonton, Alberta; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Caen, France; Magdeburg, Germany; and Tiyuan, China.

“Because these relationships are in place already, there are good opportunities for Belmont to tap into them. People in Nashville already have connections and interests in those cities, so Belmont can use those connections to leverage its programs,” González said.

Nursing, Pharmacy Volunteer at Project Homeless Connect

Nursing students assisted with health screenings provided by the Mental Health Cooperative.

Students and faculty from the School of Nursing and College of Pharmacy recently volunteered to assist with the fifth annual Project Homeless Connect.  Nearly 20 nursing students participated in the event, assisting with health screenings provided by the Mental Health Cooperative, a clinical partner of Belmont University School of Nursing. Twenty-five student volunteers from Belmont’s chapters of American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Academy of Student Pharmacists provided blood pressure, heart rate and Body Mass Index screenings for 60 people. Adjunct faculty Joyce Alexander and Diane Maynard also volunteered their time.

Pharmacy students provided blood pressure, heart rate and Body Mass Index screenings.

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Nashville Homelessness Commission, the one-day, one-stop event included access to a broad range of services, including medical and foot care, housing opportunities, legal services, employment assistance, pet care, food, toiletries.   More than 5,100 people have been helped since Project Homeless Connect started in Nashville in 2008.


LaLonde Among Women of Influence Finalists

Honors Associate Professor Kristine LaLonde was named a finalist for the Nashville Business Journal‘s  2013 Women of Influence Awards in the inspiration and mentor category. LaLonde coordinates and teaches the courses for the Honors leadership studies program, Project LEAD.  Project LEAD works with students to help them become more effective and engaged citizens through study, discussion, and community-based projects.

Award winners will be named March 1 during an awards luncheon at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

Littlejohn Speaks at Philosophy, Religious Studies Distinguished Lecture Series

Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, chairman of philosophy and director of Asian Studies, will give two public talks in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Distinguished Lecture Series at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. on Feb. 25 and 26.  The two talks examine the records of the numinal experiences of the masters of the dao contained in Daoist classical and canonical texts.  Littlejohn explores the connections between the experiences and the physical locations in which they occurred: underground chambers, caves, and grottoes. In addition to linking these activities to seminal texts such as the Daodejing and Zhuangzi, he argues that this connection continues throughout later Daoist lineage histories. He also explores comparisons between Daoist and similar experiences recorded of Biblical and ancient Greek figures.

McDowell Publishes Essays, Poems

English Assistant Professor Gary McDowell has two essays forthcoming in SLAB and The Bellingham Review. Both essays are excerpts from a memoir-in-progress. He also has poems that will be published in literary journals Salt Hill, Bateau, Linebreak, and The Georgetown Review. McDowell will read and discuss the poems from his forthcoming book, Weeping at a Stranger’s Funeral (Dream Horse Press, 2014), Feb. 23 at The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900 in a talk titled, “Household Fire and Other Poems.”

Gustke Has Article Published

English Instructor Charmion Gustke ‘s article Luck and Success Are Very Different Things”: Lessons from the Bank Vault” will appear in the forthcoming scholarly issue of The Willa Cather Newsletter and Review, feathering essays to celebrate Knopf’s publication of The Letters of Willa Cather

Former Point Guard’s Training Program Garners National Attention

Hanlen helped take Belmont to the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and 2012.

Former Bruin men’s basketball point guard Drew Hanlen, who graduated from the entrepreneurship program last May, is receiving widespread attention for his nationally recognized basketball training program, Pure Sweat Basketball. Hanlen’s program was recently featured in an NBA.com online news article titled “Young workout guru pushes his clients toward the NBA.” As the NBA draft approaches, Hanlen’s training camp has received increased attention. Since Hanlen began the program while a senior in high school, he has helped a number of players secure their spots in the professional league, and many of his clients continue to train with him even while still in the NBA.

 Now, teams are contacting Hanlen directly and soliciting his advice on individual players. Hanlen estimates that nearly half of all teams in the NBA have some representative in contact with him. “It was important to me to provide proof, with statistics and video, not just opinions,” Hanlen told NBA News. “Everyone has an opinion these days, and you can’t listen to every one of them. But the facts speak for themselves.”

In the article, Hanlen shows great respect and gratitude for men’s basketball Head Coach Rick Byrd and Director of Compliance Heather Copeland, who both supported his efforts on and off the courts and helped him navigate NCAA rules. The former Bruin also attributes much of his business success to his training in Belmont’s entrepreneurship program. His application of the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis method distinguishes him among similar programs. “I figured if Fortune 500 companies were using SWOT, it would be a great concept to define how players can maximize their talent,” Hanlen said to NBA News.