Seniors Michelle Ward and Trevor Hinesley were among three finalists for the Nashville Technology Council’s Technology Student of the Year at the NTC’s Technology Awards Gala on Oct. 23. The Technology Student of the Year Award is given to an outstanding college student who embraces new technologies both inside and outside of the classroom.

For the past three years, Belmont University students have won the NTC Tech Student of the Year award.  This year’s winner, a Vanderbilt student, received a custom Gibson guitar along with a cash prize and a brand new laptop courtesy of the award sponsor, Hewlett-Packard.

“It was a really fun event and it felt great to represent Belmont,” said Michelle Ward. “Trevor and I were still honored and we both received new laptops.”

Ward has held a number of jobs and internships and become involved in several organizations since coming to Belmont. She manages blogs Student FYI and Life Under the Tower, works in the Fitness and Recreation Center and is involved the Public Relations Student Society of America, all while maintaining a GPA that has kept her on the Dean’s List since her freshman year. Ward said she would like to “use technology to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Hinesley is a Computer Science and Audio Engineering double major who has landed some great internships while playing in a band and serving as president of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. He has recently worked as a Ruby on Rails Developer at Intero. His employers offered the following about his work at Intero, “Trevor adapted to the work, the process and the environment at Intero so well that he transitioned into one of our main assets in the development department in record time. There is no challenge that he has not overcome with both speed and grace. Trevor brings a level of excellence with him far beyond his years and we will be seeing many wonderful things from him in the years to come.”

Glenn Acree, mathematics professor and director of Pathways to Science, Technology and Mathematics at Belmont University, was a finalist for the Nashville Technology Council (NTC) Tech Educator of the Year award also presented at the NTC 2012 Technology Awards Gala. Acree has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Nashville Technology Council for six years.

The Belmont University Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) team raised $1,500 for the 2012 Nashville AIDS 5K walk, sponsored by the nonprofit organization Nashville Cares earlier this month. The 23-person Belmont team included deans, faculty and pharmacy students who joined hundreds of community participants to benefit thousands of individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Davidson County and 17 surrounding counties of northern Middle Tennessee.

Belmont Pharmacy students conducted a health fair in conjunction with the First Annual Matthew Walker Family Fun Walk hosted by the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Healthcare Center (MWCHC) on Oct. 6.  The Family Fun Walk is a one-mile walk in Bicentennial Mall State Park supporting the MWCHC’s “Dial Down Diabetes” program, which is sponsored by AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation.  It is an effort to reduce and prevent cardiovascular disease by “dialing down” on the impact of undiagnosed diabetes, pre-diabetes and diabetes in low-income adults.

After the event, Pharmacy Assistant Professor Rachel Franks, in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and 10 Belmont University College of Pharmacy students conducted a health fair. Franks and students provided participants with their weight, height and body mass index as well as blood pressure, blood glucose and bone mineral density screenings.

Mathematics Professor Danny Biles and five of Belmont’s actuarial students attended the Casualty Actuaries of the Southeast (CASE) annual fall meeting in Atlanta, Ga. on Oct. 3.  The attendees heard about the latest news and advances in actuarial science and made a number of new contacts. Students who attended the conference were Mary Yang, Zach O’Brien, Alice Curtis, Whit Whitson and Angela Gaetano.

In addition,  mathematics major Li (Mary) Yang was recognized at the conference as one of two scholarship recipients from CASE for this academic year. Yang was awarded two actuarial scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year: The Southeastern Actuaries Conference (SEAC) Scholarship and The Casualty Actuaries of the Southeast (CASE) Scholarship. These are both competitive scholarships awarded to students at southeastern U.S. universities who plan to pursue a career as an actuary. Typically only five SEAC scholarships and only two CASE scholarships are awarded per year. Yang is completing the Mathematics Actuarial Career Track in preparation for becoming a certified actuary. Students completing the Actuarial Track will earn a minor in Business Administration. The actuarial profession is usually ranked in the top five of career choices. Actuaries work in the insurance and financial sectors and specialize in analyzing the financial impact of risk and uncertainty.