Biology professor Steve Murphree led a workshop on Sept. 15 at the Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary. The workshop was titled The World of Invertebrates: Pollinators, Predators, Pests and Parasitoids and had 25 adult student participants. The students learned about the characteristics and life cycles of insects, how to identify insects using keys, had an overview of other arthropods (spiders, isopods, mites, etc.), discovered methods of collecting and observing insects and other arthropods and learned about the ecological roles of arthropods. The workshop was part of the 2012-13 Tennessee Naturalist program at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary. This is the third year Murphree has been an instructor in this program.
Murphree Leads Workshop at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary
Parry Has Book Review Published
Pam Parry, chair man of the Communication Studies Department, had a book review published in The South Carolina Historical Magazine in January 2012. She reviewed Robert B. Cuthbert’s and Stephen G. Hoffius’ Northern Money, Southern Land: The Lowcountry Plantation Sketches of Chlotilde R. Martin. This magazine is published by the South Carolina Historical Society and the College of Charleston.
Former Olympian, Belmont Athletes Teach Nashville Youth Soccer Skills
Fifth Third Bank, Nashville Metros Soccer, Metro Parks, Maciel Construction and Belmont University hosted a soccer clinic Sept. 22.
An estimated 100 youth, ages five to 13, rotated between 10 stations with Belmont student-athletes, where they were exposed to the fundamental skills required to play soccer. Metro Parks recruited the children from its youth programming throughout the city.
“I just really like to help kids and especially help them in soccer, which I love. So hopefully, I can make them love soccer too,” said Belmont freshman Sydney Omweg, who plays defense on the women’s soccer team. “I want to tell them to just stick with it for a while because I have found a lot of great things through soccer, like becoming friends with teammates.”
Fifth Third Bank Vice President of Community Development Luis Parodi approached Belmont with the idea to start the urban soccer clinic. He called on former Olympian and U.S. National Soccer player Desmond Armstrong for assistance. Armstrong played professional soccer for 11 years before transitioning to other roles including commentator for the World Cup, a member of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors and working sports management and marketing. He is now general manager of Nashville Metros Soccer Club, the oldest continuously running soccer club in the United Soccer Leagues’ umbrella and whose home field is E.S. Rose Park.
“Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, loved by people of all ages and backgrounds. We are proud to support this multicultural community event; and feel confident the children, families, Belmont athletes and others involved will reap the benefits of the clinic beyond its initial festivities,” Parodi said.
Zoro Receives White House Honor
Adjunct Instructor of Percussion Zoro as recently honored at the nation’s capitol as part of the White House Fatherhood Champions of Change & Convening on Engaging Men and Boys. Zoro was among a select group of people recognized for the important work they do to help shape our culture by promoting responsible fatherhood and mentoring of boys.
“Being invited to this event by the highest office in the land and getting a shout out for my work as an author and mentor from Special Assistant to President Obama Joshua DuBois was one of the great honors of my career,” said Zoro, an internationally renowned rock musician famous for having played drums for Lenny Kravitz and other legendary performers. “It was truly a privilege to be among such distinguished guests who are each doing their part to help strengthen American families.”
President Barack Obama in 2010 announced the creation of the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, which was spearheaded by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan were among those who encouraged the White House attendees to continue the good work they are undertaking.
Zoro is on a national media tour of his current book, The Big Gig: Big-Picture Thinking for Success, a one-of-a-kind insider’s guide to vocational, personal and spiritual aspects of achievement and the means by which Zoro is accomplishing his goal of inspiring an entire generation to pursue their dreams with excellence.
London Hospital, Physical Therapy Commemorate 10-Year Partnership
For 10 years, the School of Physical Therapy has been sending students for clinical rotation to the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London, England. The school recently sent a plaque to the hospital to recognize the longstanding partnership, and in turn, was recognized by the hospital in an article in its staff and volunteer newsletter. The article featured Allie Sosebee and Alex Young, the two most recent Belmont clinical students who worked at the hospital
Doctor of Nursing Program Welcomes Inaugural Class
The School of Nursing welcomed the inaugural class for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at a reception in late August. The five members of the new class were joined by program faculty members, Provost Thomas Burns, College of Health Sciences Dean Cathy Taylor and Director of Graduate Nursing Programs Leslie Higgins.
The new program is designed for nurse practitioners who hold an MSN degree. As the nursing profession evolves, so too will the DNP program with plans to provide a post-baccalaureate DNP to provide clinical training for future nurse practitioners as soon as 2015.
Click here to read more and view additional photos from the event.
Toia Serves as VALOR Student Pharmacist
Nicholas Toia, a third year doctoral student in the College of Pharmacy, participated this summer as the VALOR (VA Learning Opportunities Residency) Student Pharmacist at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, Nev.
While there are multiple VALOR positions available throughout the country in the area of pharmacy and nursing, Nicholas served as the only VALOR Student Pharmacist for this institution. The salaried internship provided in-depth exposure to in-patient and outpatient pharmacy services provided to the regional veteran population. This included completing medication reconciliation and patient discharge counseling to veterans leaving the facility, working with Pharmacy Informaticists on the monitoring and reporting of pertinent hospital-patient data relating to pharmacy practice and working with Oncology Pharmacists researching the use and NIOSH/OSHA compliance of closed system transfer devices for hazardous drug manipulation and administration.
Nicholas also worked with the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pharmacoeconomics in reviewing outpatient vital signs for the evaluation of drug therapy in a disease specific subset of the local veteran population. The VA Sierra Nevada employs about 70 people in the pharmacy service, including approximately 20 Clinical Pharmacy Specialists, 10 Pharmacists, five PGY1 and three PGY2 pharmacy residents.
Bullington to Present at Southeastern College Art Conference
Judy Bullington, chairman of the Department of Art and Professor of Art History, will present a paper at the Southeastern College Art Conference annual meeting on Oct. 20 in Durham, N.C. The paper is titled “Garden Motifs in Early American Portraiture.”
Her research is part of an ongoing interdisciplinary study of the material and visual culture of America’s 18th and 19th century ornamented landscapes that were initially inspired by the antebellum gardens of Adelicia Acklen’s Belmont estate. Bullington recently gave a talk on the circa 1860 painting of Belmont’s landscape which is on loan from the collection of the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art and on view at the Belmont Mansion.
Research into the meanings associated with the design and depiction of early American gardens also served as the basis of Bullington’s 2011 NEH Summer Institute project in New York, which is being carried forward through conference presentations and an essay in an anthology on Global Trade and Visual Arts in Federal New England that will be published next year.
Searcy Appointed to Public Library Board
Director of Community Relations Joyce Searcy was appointed to the Nashville Public Library Board by Mayor Karl Dean and confirmed by Metro Council on Sept. 4. Her term will end April 6, 2017. The Public Library Board create rules governing the use of Nashville libraries by the public.
Japan Fukushima Hero Chuck Casto Speaks to Students
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regional Administrator Chuck Casto spoke to Belmont students on Monday to share lessons he learned on overcoming cultural differences during an international disaster.
Casto narrated his experience of dealing with the Japan Fukushima nuclear disaster following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 16,000 people, left much of the Asian country in ruins and wiped out six nuclear power plants.
“When you think about a disaster like that, people come together to support their friends. That is what we Americans do as a nation,” he said of Operation Tomodachi, the mission of U.S. Armed Forces to support Japan with disaster relief. “America shares its best and brightest minds with its friends.”
Casto said he was filling his truck with gas at an Atlanta-area Wal-Mart on March 11, 2011 when he received a phone call instructing him that he had three hours to catch a flight at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport to lead nuclear power accident recovery efforts in Japan.
While on the 14-hour flight, an attendant noticed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission logo on his shirt and moved him from coach to business class. There Casto planned to review protocol and reference materials and learn Japanese cultural nuisances; instead he spent the time answering questions of the concerned flight crew as they flew into a nuclear plume.
